Archive of Our Own

Jisung’s plan begins to take shape the morning after he sleeps with Minho for the first time.

Lounging in the alpha’s bed after being woken by the sunlight streaming through the half-drawn curtains, Jisung’s eyes rake over his naked body, his soft sleeping face. He tries to be quiet as much as he can, not wanting to disrupt his peaceful expression, the steady rising and falling of his chest.

Jisung’s mind runs back to the previous night, the afterimages stirring something hot in his belly even moments after waking up: the glass in his hand, the uncomfortable barstool, and the sly grin on Hyunjin’s face when he leaned in and whispered in his ear about the alpha that had been watching him from afar for the last hour.

Then, downing the rest of his drink, Jisung gathered all of his courage to get up and finally flick the first domino piece that would set off the chain of events that led him right here, to this very bed.

What followed his decision makes his cheeks flame burgundy red as he recalls Minho’s charming smile, his not-so-subtle gaze undressing him right in front of their whole department.

Minho, trying to lean closer so he could catch a whiff of Jisung’s natural scent that was suppressed by the adhesive patch on his wrist. Minho’s eyes darkening with hunger when Jisung returned the gesture, daringly nudging the tip of his nose against his neck, right where the little gland was hiding under his skin, scent also concealed.

It made the gesture even more scandalous, exhilarating.

Even then, Jisung was aware of how shamelessly he had behaved in that moment, with all of their colleagues and superiors milling around. He would be lying if he said that he regrets any repercussions that may catch up to him next Monday, though.

Because, finally, he is lying right where he dreamt of for the last few months.

It’s no secret among his coworkers that Minho has earned a certain kind of reputation with one particular half of their workforce. It wasn’t unusual to see the alpha talking with other omegas in a seemingly deserted hallway, their heads leaned close, all secretive hush. Even though no one has ever caught them in action, the whole department knew that Minho was desired, and that he didn’t shy away from benefiting from this social privilege.

Quite frankly, if Jisung ever had to admit it out loud, he would say that his infatuation with his alpha colleague had to stem from that primal and simple jealousy. The animal part of him demanded the alpha’s attention anytime he heard another rumour of Minho flirting with someone else, eager to win his approval and show the other omegas that he was worthy, too, just like the rest of them.

Minho had never given him any special attention, just a polite nod and an occasional tiny smile when they passed each other in the hallways or happened to be in the employee lounge at the same time. He couldn’t tell what had changed, but Minho’s disinterest managed to get under his skin.

Did Jisung stop and think about how it sounded out loud? No, he didn’t.

So, not long after he heard the latest rumours, Jisung found himself scheming and strategizing for quite a while. And just when the annual spring ball finally rolled around, Jisung knew that he had to seize his opportunity when it presented itself to him so perfectly.

At first, his friend Hyunjin didn’t believe that it could work out, that Jisung wouldn’t be able to steal Minho’s attention all to himself while being surrounded by so many people. Luckily, Jisung didn’t have to persuade him to put trust into his mastermind plan. Hyunjin saw it happen in front of his own eyes, right from the first row.

Jisung had been eyeing Minho the first half of the evening, and when he was sure that the alpha had noticed his attention, he stopped seeking his face in the crowd altogether. He played up his act of not caring about being noticed, got louder with his laughter on purpose anytime Hyunjin leaned in and whispered into his ear.

Minho’s eyes were like magnets, clinging to his skin, his face. Jisung felt a wildfire spreading all over his body, his omega on high alert and pacing with anticipation. Soft irises bloomed on his tongue, dipped in sweet orange cream, as the fire consumed him whole. The bowtie around his neck suddenly felt tighter than it did just a moment before.

It wasn’t as tight as Minho’s hold though, pinning him down to his bed just a mere hour later. Jisung remembers salt tears, driftwood and ocean air as the alpha fucked into him from behind, his wet lips leaving kisses on his nape, dirty words falling from them like a waterfall. Such a contrast to the way Jisung whished Minho would just sink his teeth into his skin and never let go.

He came the exact moment his mind conjured up the image of the alpha laying his claim on him, the sensation of teeth piercing skin almost palpable. Jisung cried out as he spilled all over the sheets, urging Minho to come inside and finally satiate the hunger that had been growing in the pit of his stomach all this time.

When the alpha bit into his shoulder and released into the condom with a deep groan, Jisung thought that this was finally it. That by having Minho for one night would be enough, that his omega would stop baring its teeth at any other that dared to come too close.

This was supposed to be a one-night stand to satiate the beast, nothing else. It was what Minho had told him before they left the dance floor—that they would have a great time and say goodbye the next morning, to which Jisung agreed to without any objections.

Instead of feeling rejuvenated and blissed out of his mind, Jisung had drifted off into a peaceless sleep. He didn’t register the soft hands cleaning his skin with a warm washcloth, nor did he see the way Minho’s lips turned up into a tiny smile, the chuckle that fell from them afterwards.

In his dreams, he saw Minho claiming him again and again, followed by the picture of his own teeth sinking into the alpha’s neck in return. He swears he felt his omega purr in his sleep, something he only read about on the internet but never thought could happen in real life, least of all to him.

Jisung drifted in and out of sleep the whole night, feeling faint breaths coming from somewhere behind him. His mind was like a live wire, his omega restless despite being taken care of amazingly by his attentive and sweet alpha.

No, not his.

Something squeezed around Jisung’s heart then, something ugly and possessive. The feeling was so confusing because Jisung had never been a stranger to hook-ups, but it also never left him so… unfulfilled. As if there was something about Minho that wouldn’t let him leave it at just this.

He couldn’t find the root of the problem, no matter how hard he tried to replay the previous hours in his head. The sex was stellar—hell, it was probably one of the best he had ever had, his relationships included. Jisung thought about the possibility of catching feelings for the man, but it was so early. It never crossed his mind in these past few months that his heart could get involved.

Jisung wasn’t one to fall in love that quickly. And never with his hook-ups.

In the end, sleep pulled him under in the wee hours of the morning and let him rest for a while before his overthinking could start anew.

Now, as Jisung watches Minho lie next to him, his plush pink lips parted, the possessive feeling returns again with full force like a blow to his chest. But this time, Jisung feels it in his lower belly instead, and it dawns on him right after he slips his hand to rest over his stomach.

Being twenty-six years old and without a stable relationship, suddenly, his wild thoughts start to make much more sense—or, at least, to his pheromones-addled brain it does. The need to claim that clouded his mind last night wasn’t because of Minho. It was because of his alpha. Because he wanted the knot.

Even before the day that Jisung presented as an omega, he always knew that somewhere in the future, he would want to have his own little family. Holding a fussing baby in his arms, singing old lullabies to calm it down just as his mom used to do with him and his brother when they were little. Someone to show the world to, to take care of and enjoy the little things in life with.

Jisung always pictured that he would settle down with someone kind, someone who would love him at least half as much as his parents did. A small house with enough space to fit him, his mate and their little pups to raise.

As he is lying in Minho’s bed, basking in their combined scents of driftwood covered in iris petals, Jisung feels his omega coming out of its den, reminding him of all the things he hasn’t gotten in his life yet, and no matter how much Jisung tries, he can’t chase the obtrusive thoughts away.

As if he could somehow sense his inner turmoil, the alpha lying next to him scrunches his nose, slightly shifting his body towards Jisung. The blanket rides down with the movement, showing the toned skin and defined muscles on his stomach.

A memory flashes before his eyes—Minho’s naked back, the shirt hiding his toned arms and shoulders. It was as if Jisung witnessed a sculpture being born right then and there, but instead of cold marble, he found only warm and silky skin that felt heavenly against his own.

He always considered the alpha attractive, even from afar, but seeing his naked body, being touched by him with the gentlest of hands, made Jisung think that he was put on this Earth just to adore Minho for that single night. And to do everything just to be taken by him, too.

Now, when Jisung knows how ecstatic Minho’s touch feels on his skin, has tasted the salt on his tongue, he can’t help but picture the fussing baby in his arms as he looks down smiling on Jisung, his mate. Jisung’s fantasy finally makes his omega at least a little bit satisfied, happy that he finally figured it out himself.

In reality, it’s insane to think about his one-night stand as the potential parent of his pups.

In his mind, it makes perfect sense that it should be Minho. The most sought-after alpha in his department, with his perfect smile and deep brown eyes.

The sweet and attentive Minho, who took care of him so well last night, who cleaned him up even after he dozed off. It makes sense, because Jisung has always imagined what it would be like to live somewhere close to the coast, where the ocean air could ruffle his hair and leave his heart wild and open to the world.

Unbeknownst to Jisung, his omega decides for him before he can think it through properly.

Looking back at Minho’s expression, Jisung guesses that the other is teetering on the edge of waking, somewhere between consciousness and sleep, so he decides to start his day with the best way of saying good morning.

Slowly, Jisung holds himself up on his elbows, his upper half hovering above his resting form. He begins with little kisses and nips to Minho’s torso, mouthing at the red marks his teeth left there several hours ago, already in bloom. Minho doesn’t open his eyes, but there is a sudden weight on Jisung’s lower back, a warm presence in the shape of his hand.

Flicking his eyes to his face, Jisung smirks when he finds Minho’s lips parted, his head leaned back in pleasure. He moves further south, slowly pulling the blanket all the way down and off of his body. Already half-hard, Jisung’s heart starts racing when he sees Minho’s obvious interest born from nothing more than a few teasing kisses. The smell of sea salt fills the bedroom, and the immediate reaction it gets out of Jisung’s omega should really be embarrassing.

“Mhm,” Jisung whines as he takes the leaking head of Minho’s cock between his lips, eager to please the alpha.

The hand that was previously lying on his back is now tangled into his hair, whispered curses falling from Minho’s mouth as he doesn’t blink, eyes now boring solely into his. “Good morning to you to, ‘Sung.”

Hearing his name coming out of Minho’s mouth shouldn’t be so arousing. It definitely wasn’t last night, but that was largely because Jisung couldn’t hear anything past his incoherent blabbering and the obscene slap of skin on skin, but now, hearing it loud and clear and whispered in that raspy morning voice, Jisung has to squeeze his legs to stop himself from coming prematurely.

The omega wants to reward him for his compliance, so Jisung doubles down, taking more of Minho’s length inside, sucking and choking when it hits the back of his throat. Despite being fully hard now and aching, Minho is still making sure that he isn’t accidentally hurting him in any way.

“Shh, take it slow, hm? I know you want to be good,” he tuts, pulling him by his hair.

With his goal set in mind, Jisung throws every ounce of shame out of the window and waves it goodbye. Nothing matters more than making this alpha go crazy for his touch, the warmth of his mouth. Making him crave more, unable to resist.  

“Wanna be g-good for alpha,” Jisung mumbles around the leaking tip, licking the precum and swallowing.

“You are,” Minho doesn’t hesitate. “My perfect omega, taking me so well.”

Jisung pulls back to leave kitten licks under the head, then traces his tongue down Minho’s shaft. When he hears the alpha take in a deep breath through his nose, Jisung knows that he is trying to concentrate on not coming so soon. That he is already halfway to his orgasm.

Logically, Jisung knows that he can’t offer to have unprotected sex right away. Even when he has the alpha wrapped tightly around his finger right now, all pliant and willing, it wouldn’t be right leverage it against him in this state. He needs a bit more… sophisticated… approach.

Taking Minho’s spit-slicked cock into his hand, Jisung starts working him rhythmically, licking away the stripes of precum until he puts the head back inside his mouth. The hand in his hair is only there for support, Minho giving him the freedom to do what he pleases. The combination of orange cream and the salt from the ocean clouds his mind, slick leaking out from him in rivulets.

Until now, Minho has been mostly quiet save for the whispered cruses and shallow breaths, but the moment his sensitive nose catches a whiff of Jisung’s slick, he can’t stop the groans that fall from his mouth like prayers. His eyes bore into Jisung’s teary ones, and he doesn’t look away, doesn’t blink, all slick-drunk and twitching inside Jisung’s mouth.

It spurs Jisung on, opening even wider to accommodate Minho’s girth. He swallows around him, letting his spit drip from his lips down onto his stomach. Jisung has noticed that Minho likes it messy, if the way he ate him out last night was any tell.

“Babe,” Minho whispers, voice at the edge of breaking, “I’m coming, ah.”

Jisung ignores the burning pain in his lower stomach and bobs his head in synchronicity with his hand, guiding Minho to his pleasure. He makes sure Minho is watching his movements when he reaches behind to gather the slick coating his thighs on his digits.

Minho comes the second his slick-covered fingers reach his mouth, the alpha sucking them in as he empties into Jisung’s throat. Jisung stops moving altogether, focusing on swallowing every drop of cum Minho gives him, eyes transfixed on the alpha’s blissed out face, the raw-bitten lips wrapped around his fingers.

And even despite the scorching desire, Jisung pulls away after the cock in his mouth goes limp, getting up on his knees and climbing from the bed. He wipes his dirty mouth into the back of his hand, already searching for his discarded clothes on the floor, the dried slick sticking to his thighs be damned.

Minho comes to himself just when Jisung finds his other sock under the bed.

With the softest tone and eyes that remind him of a kicked puppy, Minho asks, “Are you going home already?”

Jisung murmurs something offhandedly, pulling on his trousers, then his shirt. He briefly recalls Minho’s words from last night, how they were supposed to go their separate ways come morning.

Guess that’s not happening anytime soon.

“Let me make you breakfast, at least.”

And, when Jisung only shakes his head and shoots him a tiny apologetic smile, he swears that for a moment, Minho really does turn into a sad kicked puppy. “Please?”

“Sorry, Minho-ssi, but I have somewhere to be.” He doesn’t. “I just wanted to thank you for last night.”

“Can I repay you some other time, then?”

Facing away from Minho, Jisung smiles to himself, because his plan is already in motion and working spectacularly, better than anticipated.  

Before he exits the bedroom, he turns to the alpha sitting on the edge of the mattress, hurriedly searching for his own clothes. “We’ll see about that. See you Monday, Minho-ssi.”

Jisung thinks he hears a soft whisper in the shape of his name right after he closes the door, but he doesn’t want to get his hopes up just yet. He has Minho in the prefect position—left craving more, knowing exactly how the omega tastes on his tongue and denied the right to stake his claim by leaving his scent on him the night after he fucked him senseless.

Jisung is sure it’s going to make him go desperate over the weekend, and who knows what Monday will bring.

And possibly for the first time ever, Jisung can’t wait to go to work to find out.

༻❁༺

Contrary to popular belief, Jisung did put a lot of thought into his plan. Maybe not right from the start, but over the course of Saturday and Sunday, he crafted it to perfection.

After he left Minho’s apartment and got further away from his neighbourhood, he pulled out his phone and dialled his doctor’s office. Jisung asked the nurse if they could possibly make him an emergency appointment the following Monday. When they started to explain that the doctor was busy with other patients all week, he innocently hinted at how his heat was approaching, and that he wanted to make sure that he was fertile before it started.

For the record, his heat wasn’t due for at least another month or so, but he knew how these things worked with doctors. Omegas’ reproductive health was a number one priority—in case they wanted to get pregnant or were pregnant, that is. What came after birth—the postpartum depression, the bleeding, or the cramps—well, it seemed like that part wasn’t concerning to anyone involved.

Except for the forgotten omegas, of course.

Jisung felt just a little bit bad for not telling the whole truth, but it wasn’t like he was outright lying. He needed to know if his body was ready. Otherwise, his whole plan would crumble to the ground.

The nurse was able to squeeze him in half an hour before he started work, but Jisung would still need to write to his boss that he is going to come in late on Monday. These check-ups were thorough, unlike much else.

Now, as he is sitting in the examination room two days later, twiddling his thumbs from nervosity, Jisung thinks back to Friday night. He can’t seem to get it out of his head, the picture of Minho hovering above him, his chest plastered to his back. Jisung swears his canines start to hurt anytime the memory flashes before his eyes. Anytime he catches the sight of the faint bite mark on his shoulder in the mirror, just few inches away from his scent gland.

When the door opens, a middle-aged beta steps in, her white coat blending in with the bleak surroundings. With what Jisung presumes are his test results in the doctor’s hand, she smiles kindly at him as she drags the swivel chair closer to where he is sitting in the examination chair.

Usual small talk follows, but the doctor must recognize his nervousness, the anticipation from the way he is unsubtly glancing at the papers in her hand. She goes over the test results thoroughly, explaining to Jisung that he is in the prefect condition and age for starting a family, which makes him let out a sigh of relief. But what comes next isn’t exactly ideal.

“There is only one thing that could potentially complicate conception, and that is the lack of a mating bond.”

Looking away with his cheeks flaming red, Jisung nods, eyes boring into the speckled floor. He is aware that most couples choose to bond before trying for a baby, even though it is generally possible for omegas to get pregnant without a mate if they have regular intercourse, but Jisung really can’t begin to explain his unusual situation.

The doctor doesn’t press him for an answer, but advises to talk it through with his partner. She moves on to the multitude of prescriptions—various pregnancy vitamins, fertility boosters and even some shots that he needs to inject himself with if he chooses to get pregnant without the bond. It’s a lot to take in at once, and some primal instinct has to kick in that same moment, because he lays a protective hand over his belly without thinking.

On his way out of the clinic, he stops by the adjacent pharmacy building and gets everything he was prescribed with. He is standing at the counter when he sees an alpha coming through the slide door, carrying a little bundle in his arms, the baby babbling while looking around with wide eyes. Jisung almost misses the instructions from the pharmacist, too busy daydreaming about how his own future will look like.

༻❁༺

“Sung! Where have you been?”

A strong lavender scent is the first thing that welcomes him when Jisung steps inside his office, his omega friend occupying his swivel chair like he doesn’t have his own workspace just across the hallway. Even though that scent patches are mandatory in most public and work spaces, it doesn’t stop Hyunjin from spritzing himself with fragrances that share the same base ingredient with his natural scent.

Before Jisung can take in a deep breath and come up with his answer, his friend hits him with another question.

“I need to know everything about Friday night. Was it good? Was he big?” Hyunjin asks as he demonstrates with his hands what kind of big he has in mind. “You’ve been acting strangely secretive about the whole thing, and that’s so unlike you.”

Closing the door shut behind him, Jisung glares menacingly at his friend. “Do you have to be so loud? The entire department could hear you!”

But Hyunjin isn’t one to be intimidated that easily. “I might as well air your dirty laundry if you don’t start spilling right now.”

Jisung puts his hands in the air in a gesture of surrender, then marches in the direction to the mini fridge where he keeps his snacks. While he starts spilling about his Friday night endeavours with Minho, he instinctively grabs the iced coffee drink. Just as he is about to close the fridge, the list with not recommended foods flashes before his eyes—the one his doctor gave him alongside his many prescriptions.

Jisung only feels a little bit sad that he is going to have to put his caffein addiction on hold for the foreseeable future.

He puts the bottle back and grabs a nut bar instead.

“So,” Hyunjin continues, “you slept with him Saturday morning, too?”

Biting into the snack, Jisung shakes his head. “Just sucked him off.”

“And then?”

“I left.”

Hyunjin gives him a look that tells Jisung his friend is seriously considering calling into a mental institution to ask if they have a spare room. It starts to get scary after a few moments when the omega’s eyes still remain unblinking and wide as saucers.  

“Don’t give me that look, okay? It’s all an important part of my plan,” Jisung grumbles as he devours the rest of his poor breakfast.

“A plan of what exactly?”

“None of your business,” he shrugs nonchalantly, eyes avoidant.

Leaning back in the chair with his hands crossed behind his head, Hyunjin changes his tactic.

“Okay, so where have you been this morning? You didn’t show up for our coffee time in the lounge.”

Crumbling the plastic wrapper and throwing it into the garbage can next to his desk, Jisung knows that he has been cornered. Still, he tries to wriggle out of Hyunjin’s hold unscathed.

“I overslept.”

“You didn’t.”

Okay, so Hyunjin won’t buy his shit today. Great.

After a minute or two of an impromptu staring contest, Jisung finally breaks. And maybe, just maybe, he really just wants to tell his friend, even though he knows he won’t likely get his support, which is—admittedly—quite fair.

“Fine,” he sighs loudly, turning back to make sure that nobody is standing too close to his office door.

“The sex was mind-blowing, okay? And at some point, I pictured Minho biting my neck and… I guess I really wanted it—the thing that would most probably follow after a mating bite if I was in heat.”

 Hyunjin nods his head, knowing smirk playing on his lips. “Did Minho help you discover that you have a breeding kink?”

“Well, what do you call it when it’s not just a kink…?”

Jisung sees the exact moment a lightbulb switches on above Hyunjin’s head. Or, kind of, because his friend wears the expression of an offended ferret most of the time, especially since the day they met in kindergarten and Jisung laughed into his face for that. How easy it was to befriend someone back then—after you got over that archenemies stage first, of course.

“You’re telling me that Minho got you pregnant? On purpose?!”

“No, wait, hold up, Hyune,” Jisung holds up his hand, trying to think his next words through. “First of all, we used protection last night. And even if he had gotten me pregnant, which I seriously doubt, I wouldn’t know it until a few weeks have passed, don’t you think?”

When Hyunjin’s eyes finally shrink to their normal size and nods once, Jisung deems it safe to continue.

“I came in late because I had a doctor’s appointment this morning. I went to get a check-up because… because I feel it’s time. To start my own family.”

“Okay…,” Hyunjin says slowly, his brain caught in the process of making sense out of Jisung’s words. “And how does Minho fit into this exactly? Did he agree to be the father? After you slept with him one time?”

Jisung bites his lip, knowing that it’s going to sound crazy. Mainly because it is.

“He doesn’t know.”

“And how exactly are you planning to get pregnant, then?”

Jisung shrugs again, preparing for more wild eyes and disbelieving stares. “I’m gonna let him fuck me raw.”

“Well, what if he doesn’t want to?”

At that, Jisung raises an eyebrow at the other omega.

“Jin, have you ever met an alpha that would refuse to fuck without a condom?”

Hyunjin momentarily falls silent, unable to counter that fact. Still, the concern is etched into his face, and somehow, it’s worse than seeing him mad.

“Sung, what you are talking about… is essentially baby-trapping, do you know that?”

“Not when I don’t have any intention of mating him or getting pregnant to extort him in some way. I don’t want to bind Minho to my life, I just want him to make me his beautiful baby and then we’re done.”

When Hyunjin still looks unconvinced and slightly more alarmed, Jisung doubles down and explains his plan in detail.

“Look, do you know how expensive IVFs are? I don’t have that kind of money, but I’m already twenty-six, I have a stable job that pays me nicely, and I have my own apartment that is big enough for two. You know that since we were kids, I’ve always wanted to have my own family in the future. The only thing I need for that to happen is a bit of Minho’s help. After he gets me pregnant, he never has to hear about me ever again.”

There is a stretch of uncomfortable silence before Hyunjin gets up from his chair and sits at the edge of the wooden desk. This way it feels more like a parent-child talk, which still feels lot worse than if Hyunjin would just cuss him out.

“Jisungie,” his friend starts with an uncharacteristic softness in his voice. “You know that twenty-six isn’t an age where you should be worrying about your ability to have kids, right? You still have some time to find a mate that is going to be head over heels for you and your pups. Just like it happened with Felix and Chan.”

Jisung’s voice is hushed when he admits the truth that’s been bothering him for quite some time.

“I haven’t had a proper relationship in years, Jin. I can’t just sit around and wait for someone to come and sweep me off my feet. It could be too late for me then.”

Jisung feels a faint lavender scent laced with vanilla undertones when he inhales through his nose, knowing that if Hyunjin wasn’t wearing his patch, the calming pheromones would hit full force. Grateful to his friend for his comfort, he leans closer and lets Hyunjin rake his hand through his hair, the gesture so familiar that it steadies his rabbiting heart in an instant.

“Have you thought about how Minho is going to feel when he finds out?”

“He won’t find out.”

“Jisungie, he most probably will, even if you are planning to cut him off after. You still work in the same place. And rumours travel fast.”

“I’ll figure it out when it happens.”

“What if Minho is going to want to be involved in the baby’s life?”

Involuntarily chuckle escapes from Jisung’s lips. “I seriously doubt that he is going to want to exchange his most-desirable-alpha-of-the-marketing-department title for a life of nappies and pacifiers.”

“But it’s going to be his kid. You know how protective alphas are of their young. It could seriously hurt him, denying him this choice.”

And Jisung knows that Hyunjin is right—his plan could seriously hurt him and Minho. He won’t justify his decision, because there is just no way to do it without sounding like a selfish asshole.

“I know.”

“And you are still going to go through with it?”

Jisung doesn’t have to answer, because it only takes one look at his face for Hyunjin to know that his friend isn’t backing down.

“Well shit,” Hyunjin sighs out. “We are in for a hell of a ride, then.”

༻❁༺

Later that afternoon, Jisung sees Minho for the first time since Saturday.

He is in the middle of chatting with Wooyoung, an always smiling beta from the hiring department, when he hears Minho’s voice carrying from across the employee lounge. When Jisung flicks his eyes towards the entrance, he catches a glance of the alpha already looking at him, eyes curious.

Heart beating in overdrive, Jisung quickly regains his composure and shifts his focus back to Wooyoung, who is talking animatedly about the change of brand of coffee beans in the coffee machine. Unknowingly, Jisung licks his lips, because good lord, he already misses coffee.

Sipping chamomile tea from his mug, he steals occasional, totally inconspicuous, glances at Minho. The alpha is talking with his colleagues as he pours himself a cup, his dark brown hair falling into his face and curling at the ends. His expression is bright, but it doesn’t escape Jisung’s attention when the corners of Minho’s lips drop down slightly when as turns away from the other alphas.

Their eyes meet again just as Wooyoung’s voice pulls him back into their conversation.

“Jisung-ah,” he repeats when Jisung just blinks at him, completely lost. “Did you enjoy the ball? I saw you with Hyunjin at the bar but before I could come say hi, you were already gone.”

“Oh, yeah,” Jisung forces a smile and a little white lie through his teeth. “I just went home early because I was tired.”

Wooyoung raises his eyebrows in disbelief, but he doesn’t poke further.

They move on to some other topics as they both quickly finish their cups, but Jisung can’t concentrate anymore. Not when, suddenly, there is another omega speaking with Minho in front of his eyes, his interest in the alpha clear as day.

He is standing too close to Minho for Jisung’s liking.

His body language is aggravating, because Jisung (and anyone else in the room really) can recognize the omega’s feeble attempt at flirting. The lidded eyes, batting eyelashes and the parted lips being the biggest tells.

Jisung’s omega bares its teeth, and before he can register what he is doing, he is mumbling an excuse to Wooyoung, eyes already set on his target. His legs carry him to the other side of the room with vigour and without any idea of what he is going to say.

“Oh, Minho-ssi,” he cuts off the other omega in the middle of whatever he was saying. “I’m glad I ran into you here. I-I actually… need your help with something. Work-related.”

He utters the last word more towards the blushing omega than to Minho. Jisung finishes his sentence with a small smile, his body already turning in the direction of the hallway. He knows Minho is following right behind him, the sound of his rushed footsteps echoing against the waxed floors.

Jisung turns a corner and slows down his steps so Minho can catch up properly. Seeing the obvious question in his eyes, Jisung looks left and right to make sure the coast is clear. Then, he pulls Minho by his wrist into the omegas’ washroom.

“Oh, Jisung, I don’t think this is a good idea—”

“Shh, we have to be quiet.”

Jisung puts his finger in front of his lips as he guides Minho into the stall standing further back. He slides the latch into the lock and turns to look at the red-faced, heavy breathing alpha.

The flush makes his pretty dark eyes stand out even more, causing Jisung to have to shake his head and get out of his trance.

“What are we doing here?” Minho whispers and shuffles his feet on the ground, the movement reminding Jisung that he still has his hand wrapped around his wrist.

“Ehm,” he begins intelligently, dropping his hand. This really wasn’t the most thought-through part of his plan of seducing Minho. But well. “I wanted to apologize for having to leave so early on Saturday. I had a really great time with you.”

In the confined space of the bathroom stall, Jisung notices every inhale and exhale, even the slightest movements of Minho’s chest, the way he parts his lips as he takes in Jisung’s words.

“It’s okay, Jisung-ah. I just wanted to make sure that Friday night was good for you, and I didn’t want you to leave… unsatisfied.”

“Trust me,” Jisung whispers as he takes a step closer, “I was very satisfied.”

They are standing mere inches apart as Jisung continues.

“But if you still feel bad about it, maybe you could make it up to me? Tonight?”

“What do you have in mind?”

Minho’s voice is sweet, a palpable interest lacing through his words. Jisung watches as his eyes slide down the front of his body, and suddenly his skin starts burning, blood rushing to his face.

“I was thinking that… we could begin where we left off on Saturday?”

When Minho speaks now, it’s with the typical alpha’s dominance seeping into his tone. “And where was that?”

Instead of replying, Jisung decides that it will be more efficient to just show him. He leans his head into the crook of Minho’s neck tantalisingly slow, surprised by the muffled sigh the alpha lets out when they touch. His hands automatically move to catch him by his waist, but Jisung drags them down with his own, until they rest against the swell of his clothed ass.

He noses at Minho’s supressed scent gland, recalling the scent of driftwood and how well it combined with the sweetness of his orange cream and irises in the alpha’s bed. Minho does the same to his neck, his hands cupping his asscheeks, making Jisung part his legs just a tad bit wider. The sudden low growl that comes out of Minho’s throat catches him off guard, making him lose his footing and press his front to Minho’s chest.

“Fuck,” Minho utters as he quickly pulls back, taking his hands with him as if he has been burnt by the touch. He looks like he can barely restrain himself, but Jisung highly doubts that an alpha with his reputation could get hard just from a little playful nuzzling.

It surprises him when he notices that Minho’s ears have turned crimson red.

Tiny smile blooms on Jisung’s face.

“So, I’ll see you tonight, then? Your place?”

Clearing his throat while he nods, Minho agrees and waits for Jisung to pull out his phone so he can put in his number. Jisung watches his quick fingers tapping onto the screen, and he doesn’t know why, but he is feeling a bit sad that their hot groping session has come to an end so quickly.

Maybe the fertility vitamins he took during lunch are already making him feel horny.

After Minho hands him his phone back, a sly grin appears on his face.

“Do you really need my help with something or did you just want to make sure that the omega will stop flirting with me?”

Jisung blinks, mouth hanging wide upon hearing the audacity to ask such a thing. Even though Minho isn’t far from the truth at all. “You are getting ahead of yourself, Minho-ssi. Besides, you didn’t look that interested in him anyway.”

Moving the latch on the door, Jisung is already halfway out of the stall when Minho’s whispered words catch his attention.

“Jisung-ah,” he sighs out, his name so light on his tongue. “I already told you to call me hyung.”

And yes, Jisung does remember he did tell him that. It was right before Minho slid his tongue inside and fucked his hole until he made him cry from the intense pleasure.

“See you tonight, Minho.”

Minho’s wolfish grin is the last thing Jisung sees before he turns around and marches out of the bathroom.

It’s only a half an hour later that he notices his cheeks are still hot to the touch.

༻❁༺

Minho texts him his address alongside the time of when they will be meeting at his place.

With still few hours to spare, Jisung scrambles together a quick dinner and puts on a nature documentary, the one he has been meaning to watch since he added it to his Watch Later playlist on YouTube some weeks ago.

Between slurping his noodles and texting back and forth with Hyunjin, he watches baby turtles fight for their lives on the screen. He becomes so immersed after one baby almost doesn’t make it to the water in time that he notices too late the tears that have managed to slide down his cheeks.

His noodles have gone cold in the meantime, which makes him want to cry even more.

Jisung was aware that the pregnancy vitamins would make him moody even before the doctor had told him, but he wasn’t ready for just how much different it would be. Sure, he has always been more sensitive than your regular omega, but if it’s going to continue like this, he might as well just start carrying around a huge box of tissues and dig out his favourite childhood plushie from the closet. Just to have something to calm him at night.

After he drops his dirty dishes in the sink, Jisung marches into the bathroom to make himself presentable. Quick shower scrubs the remnants of his work day away, his favourite shampoo makes his hair shiny and lets it curl in its natural way. Jisung feels squeaky clean when he grabs the towel and dries his body, brushes his teeth thoroughly.

From his medicine cabinet, he pulls out the prescribed injection and scans the packaging information. He has never really been scared of needles, not even as a little kid, but having to pierce your own skin with something pointy is scary in and of itself.

Little sting to his belly, then the press of the syringe’s plunger and before he knows it, he is opening his eyes to look at the little puncture wound.

Jisung rubs the spot with disinfectant as he watches himself in the bathroom mirror.

Every partner that he has ever been with praised him for his flat and small tummy, but Jisung thinks it’s his narrow waist that makes it so attractive.

He cups his underbelly and thinks about his future baby—he pictures what the first kick is going to feel like. He can’t wait for the special bond omegas form with their unborn babies by talking to them, singing to them. He can’t wait to have a life growing inside of him.

In his bedroom, Jisung stands in front of his closet and finds himself overthinking again. Minho liked him well enough in his semi-formal suit, with pants and a tight shirt. But this is just a pre-agreed hook up.

Should he doll up again? He doesn’t want to come on too strong, but he wants to feel pretty for the alpha. To wear something that will immediately make him want to tear all of his clothes off.

In the end, Jisung decides for a fitting pair of jeans and his favourite lemon t-shirt. He fixes his hair in the hallway, then puts on his sneakers and grabs a leather jacket from his closet. He closes the door quietly on his way out.

Minho’s apartment is just a few subway stops away from his own neighbourhood, so before he even manages to put his earphones in, he is already on his way out of the underground station. The map on his phone leads him into a familiar area, and it’s not long before he sees the entrance to Minho’s apartment building.

Jisung raps his knuckles against his front door after the elevator drops him off at the eighth floor.

“Hi, Jisung,” Minho greets him as he opens the door, small smile already playing on his lips.

Jisung mutters a soft hey as he walks past Minho into his apartment, kicking his shoes off in the hallway, taking of his jacket.

He feels Minho’s eyes on his body the whole time, and only now does he realize how nervous he actually is, even though this is nothing new. It’s the same Minho from Friday night, from his work. His scent must give him away when the alpha steps closer and takes his jacket from him to hang it next to his own.

“Everything okay?”

The care in Minho’s voice makes his shoulder relax instinctively.

“Mhm,” he assures him, trying to rein in his scent.

They are standing in the hallway, just close enough to touch if either one of them would reach out his hand. Jisung breaths in through his nose and registers the woody scent, combined with salt air, that has made a permanent residence between the walls of the alpha’s apartment. Everything smells like Minho, and it’s enough to make him feel calm, like his omega knows that he has made the right decision.

“Did you eat, Jisung-ah?” Minho asks, clearly unsure where to start the conversation.

“I did,” Jisung counters, feeling bolder and maybe a little scent-drunk. “But don’t worry, I left plenty of space for you.”

Admittedly, in his own head, the sentence didn’t sound as unhinged as it did out loud. Jisung bites his tongue as he watches Minho’s expression go from calm to crimson red in a span of five seconds.

“Oh, shit, sorry,” Jisung splutters, taking a step back and raking his hand through his hair, “that was really bad.”

But Minho isn’t listening anymore. He is currently muffling his laughter with his palm plastered to his mouth, eyes turned crescent moons. Jisung doesn’t know what to do besides stand there awkwardly and watch the alpha almost succumb to the floor with how much his body shakes from laughter.

Jisung sighs loudly as he presses his hands over his face, recalling how much he was overthinking his outfit just to stand here like this, possibly ruining his chance that Minho is going to want to fuck him tonight after what he just said. Or ever.

“Hey, Jisung-ah.”

Jisung involuntarily moves one of his hands to the side when he hears his name roll of Minho’s tongue so softly.

“Don’t be embarrassed, okay? It was a funny joke.”

“No, it was awful.”

“Okay,” Minho says as he bites his lower lip. “It probably wasn’t one of your brightest, but it’s fine.”

When Minho reaches for his wrist and begins guiding him towards his bedroom with those soft eyes searching for an approval, Jisung realizes how much of what he thought of Minho was actually wrong. From the rumours he heard and from the way Minho fucked him last week, he really expected the typical alpha behaviour—unnecessarily and annoyingly dominant, emotionally stunted, and a control freak—but Minho was proving to him that he was anything but.

Yes, there was the moment in the bathroom stall when Jisung could feel the alpha poking out of its den, but if anything, it was sexy as hell. It was because he felt that Minho didn’t want to dominate him, but rather be the one Jisung could lean on and put his trust in.

So far, Minho has been so… tender. And if baby turtles already made him cry once today, the sweet and attentive alpha would make sure that it wasn’t the last time.

Shit, he really has to stop thinking about baby turtles.

“Jisung-ah,” Minho whispers as he lays him down onto his bed, climbing up his body to be face to face. “I want to make you feel good. Is that okay?”

Jisung verbally confirms that yes, he wants him to finally repay the favour from last Saturday. And before Jisung knows it, he is lying naked on the bed, his knees bent and parted wide to make place for Minho and his tongue, his fingers. One hand teasing his nipple, Minho is littering kisses down the length of his cock, his other hand already prodding at his entrance.

“Ah, Min-ho, ah!”

Jisung whines as he feels one finger slide in without resistance, the muscle spasming around it. One of his hands is fisting the sheets while the other is clutching his leg to keep them spread apart. Minho murmurs into his skin, all praises and sweet words.

“That’s it, so wet for alpha already,” he says as he slips in a second finger, making Jisung keen high in his throat. “Can’t wait to see you come on my tongue.”

Just as Minho finishes his sentence, he makes sure Jisung watches as he pulls his fingers out and licks them clean. The scent of fresh oranges wafts through the room, making Jisung’s mouth water when it combines with the sea salt and driftwood.

Jisung watches intently as Minho moves down to kneel on the ground, both of his hands hooking under his ass. He manhandles Jisung closer to the edge of the mattress, his legs now hanging down from Minho’s shoulders. In this position, Minho has a premium view of his most vulnerable part, and even the hand on his thigh can’t prevent him from trying to squeeze his legs together.

“Nuh-uh,” Minho tuts at him, using the grip on his ass to signal that he is having none of that. “Wanna touch you right here.”

With a huff, Jisung lets his legs fall open. He gets his reward in the form of a love bite to his cheek, then a kiss to smooth out any pain. Minho continues to lick the slick that has managed to dribble out of him during their foreplay, and it’s so arousing that he has to reach for his cock and squeeze the base to stave off his orgasm.

“I want your eyes on me. Don’t look anywhere else.”

His omega yearns to please the alpha that is treating him so well, so Jisung does as Minho instructs him without objection. He doesn’t look away, not even when he feels the first prod of his tongue inside, fighting the urge to roll his eyes back into his head with the pleasure that erupts in his lower belly.

Minho didn’t lie when he told him that he couldn’t wait to have Jisung come on his tongue because he is eating him out like he doesn’t need to breathe. His scary focus, his sharp brown eyes that watch for the tiniest reaction. Jisung’s whines have turned into full out moans, his back arching off the bed with every thrust of Minho’s tongue past the tight ring of muscle.

With raspy voice and slick covered lips, Minho whispers, “That’s my good boy. Letting me fuck his hole until he cries.”

Being so overwhelmed by pleasure, Jisung doesn’t even notice the tears rolling down his face. He tries to string a coherent sentence together, but all that he manages to say is, “P-Please.”

“Please what, baby?”

While Jisung tries to gather his will to answer, Minho slides two of his fingers right back inside, making him forget everything he wanted to say.

“Please what?”

“I w-want,” he begins anew, Minho’s fingers now scissoring him apart. “I want t-to come.”

Minho hums appreciatively, slipping in a third finger. “What makes you think you deserve it, hm?”

“Please, p-please, Minho…”

“Didn’t I tell you to call me hyung?”

The three digits go still inside. Jisung trashes on the bed and cries petulantly, needing Minho’s tongue back where it belongs.

“You know what you need to do to make me let you come, sweetheart. It’s up to you.”

There is a glint in Minho’s eyes, one that dares Jisung to disobey him. It’s clear that Minho is enjoying this, too, by the way his other hand is kept out of Jisung’s view, wrapped around his own cock.

Jisung whines as he starts stroking himself, but his efforts come in vain when Minho orders him to stop with a dominant tone that makes his omega want to be compliant. It makes Jisung’s cock ache even harder, a new wave of slick spilling out from between his thighs.

“Look at you, Jisung,” Minho mocks him, “how desperate you are for me. And it could be so easy, too, if you weren’t so stubborn.”

Unwilling to give up so quickly, Jisung takes the reins into his own hands and begins pushing his body up and down the bed, getting at least some friction from the fingers still deep inside him. But of course, Minho sees through it right away.

He pulls his digits out and locks Jisung’s body in an iron-tight grip. The emptiness is making him cry all over again, and it’s finally what makes him cave in.

“Hy-ung,” he sobs when his muscles clench around nothing.

“I know you can do better than that, baby.”

The combination of praise and humiliation is just perfect for Jisung to start giving in more easily, his omega satisfied by the attentiveness of the alpha.

“Minho-hyung.”

The smile that spreads on Minho’s face is so pretty it reminds Jisung of the first cherry blossom tree that blooms in the spring. That one alongside the Han River that he always passes by on his way to work. It’s a marvellous sight.

Minho places a kiss to his inner thigh, then repeats the gesture on his other leg. “That’s it.”

With that same smile he returns back between Jisung’s legs and doesn’t waste another second. He tongues his entrance before he thrusts back in, quick movements guiding Jisung to his orgasm.

“Ah, ah, hyung, I’m-I’m coming…”

Jisung comes with a choked moan and his head tilted backwards, spurting slick all over his stomach and chest. There is that amazing muscle spasm that accompanies him to the afterglow, legs turning into jelly on Minho’s shoulders. The alpha continues to lick the slick from his thighs, like he still can’t get enough of the taste.

He comes to himself slowly, watching with hazy eyes as Minho cleans him with wet wipes, his hands the gentlest they have ever been. Jisung basks in the attention, a blissed-out smile playing on his lips as Minho moves up the bed to clean his stomach, his chest.

Jisung notices the leftover slick in the corner of Minho’s lips and it leaves him blushing profusely—a reminder of what they have just done. Reaching his hand out, he gathers the liquid on his finger, Minho watching his movement like a hawk. But instead of wiping his digit on the sheets, he brings it to his own mouth.

Entranced, Minho stops wiping his body, lips parted as he watches Jisung swallow. The moment feels charged, like this simple gesture was much more arousing than what they did mere seconds ago. The tips of Minho’s ears flame red, and Jisung has to fight the urge to reach out again and touch him there.

“Fuck,” Minho whispers, eyes clouded with thick desire. He leans his head closer to Jisung, and for a moment, it almost looks like he is going to press his lips to his own.

They kissed only once during Friday night. It was in the elevator ride up to his apartment, when Jisung caught Minho staring at him in the mirror, and he wouldn’t be able to explain why, but in that moment, it felt like the right thing to do. He didn’t usually object to kissing with his hook-ups, but considering that he was on a mission here, it probably wouldn’t be wise to repeat it.

He couldn’t get distracted.

Reaching for his nape, Jisung pulls Minho closer, slotting his nose into the crook of his neck. He inhales a big gulp of air, breathing the driftwood and salt. He huffs out a surprised sigh when he feels a new wave of slick leaking out from between his legs.

Damn the alpha’s sensitive nose because Minho chuckles when he realizes, rubbing the tip of his nose against Jisung’s scent gland. When Jisung pulls a bit harder, causing Minho to lay his body on top of him, he finds out that the alpha is still hard and leaking.

Now comes the tricky part of his plan.

Jisung uses Minho’s distraction to his advantage, switching their positions by rolling the alpha onto his back, straddling his lap and pinning him down with his weight to the mattress. Minho looks so gorgeous under him, with his wide eyes and parted lips, slowly turning into a playful smile.

“Ready to go again?”

His chuckle is a music to Jisung’s ears. “Shouldn’t I be the one asking you?”

Grinning slyly, Jisung bends forward and places a kiss to Minho’s scent gland, feeling his interest poking him in his ass. He needs to make the alpha pliant under his touch, so blinded by desire that he is going to want to do anything Jisung tells him to. And considering that he hasn’t come yet, it shouldn’t take long.

Jisung lets Minho’s hands wander freely over his body as he continues to lick and nip at the sensitive skin of his gland. The soft sighs of pleasure Minho breathes out go straight into his cock, building that fire inside his stomach once again. Jisung moves down to pay attention to his chest, gauging Minho’s reaction when he wraps his lips around the pink bud and sucks.

Most of the alphas he has been with before wouldn’t let him play with their nips, baring their teeth, and some even growling in displeasure when Jisung asked if they would want to try it. As if somehow getting pleasured in this way would make their masculinity suffer a great blow. Jisung could feel that in their eyes, it would reduce them to omegas—emasculate them.

Jisung is pleased to find that Minho praises him for his skilful mouth and tongue, his hand tangling in the locks of his hair. He watches intently as Jisung leaves a bite mark over one of his buds, then sooths the irritated skin with kisses until he moves further down.

He is surprised that Minho even lets him be on top for that long, that the alpha doesn’t object to being the passive one during their foreplay. Something hot stirs inside Jisung’s stomach, and his omega reminds him once again of Minho being the perfect choice as the father of his pup.

“Hyung,” Jisung starts innocently, taking Minho’s red and weeping cock into his palm. “I want to feel you inside.”

Minho exhales loudly, squeezing Jisung’s hips. “I’ll give it to you, baby. You’ve been such a good boy for me.”

When Minho tries to prop himself on his elbows and reach for the nightstand where he keeps the condoms, Jisung pushes him down by the hand on his chest. He doesn’t use that much force, but he thinks that the surprised expression on Minho’s face will never not make him giggle.

Leaning forward, Jisung presses his lips to the shell of Minho’s ear.

“I want to feel you coming inside me. Want you raw.”

Jisung swears that the tormented sigh he just heard was real, and not a figment produced by his horny brain.

“Jisung-ah, it’s irresponsible. We can’t risk it…”

“Please, hyung? I’ll get the morning after pill. I want you so much, please.”

When Jisung pulls back, he sees Minho’s concerned façade breaking in real time. He thinks he has won when Minho lets out a heavy breath and shuts his eyes, nails digging into Jisung’s skin where he is still holding him by his waist. But then, he is surprised by the alpha yet again.

“Are you sure? What if I wasn’t clean?”

He nods vehemently, and then he asks, “Are you not?”

Minho shakes his head. “No, I’m clean. I use protection every time.”

“Me too. This would be my first time without it.”

The growl that comes right after Jisung finishes his sentence is a low throaty sound that makes his skin shiver with anticipation. He knows Minho is at his breaking point, so he resorts to the one thing that he knows is going to make the alpha want to fuck him senseless.

Jisung nudges Minho’s nose with his own, assuring that the other is giving him his undivided attention. Slowly, Jisung turns around, legs spread over Minho’s lap with his toes digging into the mattress. He finds stability by leaning forwards and arching his back, Minho’s wet, hard cock sliding in between the cleft of his ass.

He moves experimentally up and down, head tilted to the side to see Minho’s expression.

“I’d let you fuck me like this, hyung. So that you could watch.”

Jisung knows that the victory is his when Minho doesn’t hesitate to wrap his hands around his middle, pressing his cock against his hole harder. He breaths heavily into the crook of his neck, teeth scarping his skin when he whispers, “Fuck, Sung. Alpha will take care of you, okay?”

Jisung answers him with a moan as he feels the cockhead prodding at his entrance, the abundance of slick making it sound that much filthier. He braces himself against Minho’s chest as the alpha moves them slowly to the edge of the bed so he can sit up properly.

When Minho wraps his hand around Jisung’s waist and begins to slowly push inside, Jisung thinks he is about to lose his mind completely. The possessive hold on his middle makes him move his hand to cover Minho’s own, their fingers intertwining.

Jisung moans as he feels Minho’s cockhead slipping in, already feeling so full. The alpha lets him get used to the sensation by shallowing him, only moving in an out with the tip. When he chances a quick glance over his shoulder, he sees Minho’s eyes transfixed on the way his cock slides in and out without resistance.

“Alpha,” Jisung whines, not able to restrain himself any longer. “More, p-please. I need more”

Minho’s thrusts slowly gain tempo, making Jisung take his cock fully as he bounces up and down, anchored only by the iron grip Minho has on his stomach. His eyes slide down to his front, seeing how his own leaking cock bobs helplessly against his stomach, making him clench around Minho with arousal.

“That’s it, baby, you were born to take me, hm? Made to take me whenever I want, however I want.”

And Jisung can’t do much else besides nodding his head, trying to answer with words when Minho tells him to. Even with thorough prep, Minho’s cock still makes him choke—he is stuffed to the brim, couldn’t take more even if Minho forced him to.

Jisung thinks about how much Minho would stretch him with his knot, and the sole thought makes him tilt his head backwards, landing on top of Minho’s shoulder with his mouth hanging open. He watches Minho’s focused expression, his raw-bitten lips, and the way his eyelashes curl so prettily.

In that moment, it hits him that he really is extraordinarily pretty for an alpha.

Jisung’s moans gain volume when Minho’s hand slides down from his waist and wraps itself around his cock, his hazy eyes finding his.

“Want to stay inside you whole night, Jisung,” he breaths out in between groans as he drives his cock out to the tip before driving himself back in.

Jisung flicks his eyes between their bodies to see the way Minho disappears inside him, the alpha following his line of sight. He sees his slick-covered cock, so hard that he knows Minho is approaching his orgasm fast. Jisung begins meeting his thrusts with his hips, nose pressed to the scent gland on his neck.

He feels his body being used for pleasure, with the way Minho’s thrusts lose their rhythm and become sloppy, uncoordinated. Irises bloom around them, just because of how strong and sure Minho’s touch is on his skin, how adored his omega feels.

When Minho finally comes inside, he holds Jisung so tightly to his chest that he follows right after him, his high triggered by the alpha’s powerful scent. A wave crushes into his body, the ocean drawing salt maps onto his skin as he spills over Minho’s hand, as his omega finally lies down and starts to purr from satisfaction.

With Minho’s cum finally safely inside him, he lets his body fall helplessly onto the alpha’s chest, basking in the feeling of infinite bliss.

Breathing heavily onto his cheek, Minho noses at his skin as he milks Jisung’s orgasm, stroking his slick-covered cock. He leaves a little ticklish kiss on his jaw as he begins to pull out.

“No, wait!” Jisung protests, immediately pressing back down to keep his cock inside, needing to make sure that Minho gives him all he can.

After quickly wiping his palm on the wrinkled sheets, Minho reassures him by pressing a hand to his belly, drawing smoothing circles onto his skin.

“Shh, I’m not going anywhere. Let’s catch our breaths together first, okay?”

Their bodies synchronize slowly. Jisung can feel Minho’s heart beating from the way they are still pressed together, chest to back. It’s such an intimate moment that it sends shivers down Jisung’s spine, goosebumps appearing all over his skin.

Minho misinterprets his reaction and starts pulling away slowly, making sure that Jisung isn’t going to startle.

“I’ll leave you a spare towel on the sink so you can take a shower,” he says as he guides Jisung from his lap. “Are you hungry? Thirsty?”

Jisung shakes his head. Minho reaches for the wipes but Jisung pulls his legs closer and tells him that he needs a moment to recover. The alpha gives him a soft smile and, after a moment of palpable reluctance to leave the omega alone in his vulnerable state, he gets up from the bed.

Jisung watches as Minho takes out two clean pairs of boxers from his drawer. He leaves one pair at the edge of the bed, winking at Jisung as he shuts the door behind himself on his way to the bathroom.

Waiting for approximately three seconds, Jisung scoots himself up on the bed and turns around, legs propped onto the headboard. He vaguely remembers reading an article that said that remaining immobile for at least fifteen minutes after sex can, in some cases, lead to a higher chance of conception. The legs-in-the-air thing is supposed to be an old midwives’ tale, but it certainly can’t hurt.

With both hands over his belly, Jisung breathes deeply in and out, trying to calm his racing mind. He is already starting to feel a bit sore, the slick drying on his thighs making him squirm. Soon, he is going to become jittery from the feeling of being dirty, but Minho’s scent clinging to the sheets help him relax as he waits, make him close his eyes and picture a little pup clinging to his arms.

༻❁༺

Minho doesn’t let him leave without making sure that he eats at least a little of the leftover kimbap he had made for dinner. And after Jisung gets caught staring at the bottle of chocolate milk Minho keeps in his fridge, the alpha makes sure that he drinks a whole glass, too.

Minho also offers that he can stay the night, but honestly, Jisung feels boneless and exhausted, and can’t wait to crawl into his own bed, burrow himself under his weighted blanket and sleep until his alarm wakes him in a few hours. Besides, even if Minho wanted to go for a round two, he probably couldn’t even hold his eyes open for that long.

The alpha follows him to the hallway, his expression unreadable. He looked lost in thought the whole time Jisung was munching on his late-night snack, but he didn’t know if it would be better to ask or not. Minho seemed to be miles away.

Helping him into his jacket, Jisung feels Minho’s hands linger just a breath longer than necessary. When he turns to face him, the other is already opening his mouth, but Jisung beats him to it.

“I…Thank you, Minho. I had a really great time.”

Jisung knows that he needs to say more, needs to make sure that they can see each other again. But all of a sudden, the soft look in Minho’s eyes steals all of the words from his tongue.

“Me too, Sung.”

He waits two, three beats before he turns around and grabs the door handle.

“Text me when you get home, please.”

Again, that strange warm feeling stirs inside his gut.

“Goodnight,” Jisung nods and leaves Minho standing in the doorway as he makes his way to the elevator.

When he gets home some twenty minutes later, he pulls out the shirt he picked up from Minho’s bedroom floor. The one that he took off right before he got down to his knees and made Jisung cry from pleasure.

Jisung presses it close to his chest, inhales its scent as he closes his eyes and drifts off. He took it only because it’s going to help him calm down and, just maybe, the alpha’s scent will help him conceive faster.

At least that’s what he tells himself.

༻❁༺

“By the dreamy look on your face I gather that you plan worked last night?”

Not expecting to hear those words so early, Jisung panically looks around the employee lounge, which is still mostly deserted in these morning hours. The few people sitting around look non-the-wiser, Hyunjin’s question going unnoticed.

Jisung leans his body on the counter, his steaming mug of chasteberry tea in hand. He nods his head, covering his grin by taking a sip of the liquid.

“So, he didn’t object to you going at it raw?”

“He actually cared a lot,” Jisung admits as he recalls Minho’s concerned expression, “but I told him that I would just take the plan B pill.” Then, he remembers what followed after that conversation. “And maybe after that, I…enticed him into it. Just a little.”

Hyunjin shakes his head, his expression halfway between impressed and concerned. “But I assume that you didn’t take the pill.”

Jisung shakes his head again. He knows that the heavy weight in his gut is guilt because Minho is probably the nicest alpha he has met in a while, and he really does feel bad for lying to him. But this is about his future family—not about trapping Minho into something he doesn’t want to. This isn’t supposed to be about him.

“When are you seeing him again?”

Jisung is about to answer that he doesn’t know right when his phone vibrates in his back pocket. He pulls it out, expecting one of his parents asking about when he is going to have time for facetime, but what he finds instead is Minho’s name on the screen.

Lee Minho 7:51 a.m.
Can you meet me in front of the building before lunch? :)

Me 7:53 a.m.

I’ll be there👍

༻❁༺

The sun is unusually warm for an early April’s noon.

Like a sunflower waking up from its sleep, Jisung turns his head to the sun when he exits the company building, his eyes already half closed, softly humming a song he heard today on the radio. Something about sunshine and rainy days.

The warmth draws him like a moth to a candle, his lungs filling with the fresh spring air.

He doesn’t even regret forgetting his jacket in his office as he now rolls up the sleeves of his baby blue sweater. He is preoccupied by doing the human version of photosynthesis that he doesn’t register Minho standing just a few steps away. Not immediately, at least.

“You look really happy like this,” is what finally breaks him out of his stupor, Minho’s voice coming from somewhere to his left. It’s a wander Jisung doesn’t startle, but maybe some part of him already expects the alpha to be there.

Maybe the sound of Minho’s voice has already become an awaited part of his day.

“It’s beautiful outside, it’s hard not to feel happy,” Jisung answers instead, tilting his head to the side where he finds Minho watching him intently, his hands full with two paper bags. “What is this?”

“Our lunch,” Minho says as he gestures for Jisung to follow. “Come with me.”

Minho waits for Jisung to catch up with him before he picks up the pace, leading them across the busy road and towards an unassuming garden gate. Jisung recognizes the entrance to the park instantly—it’s where the food carts are spread all throughout the place, convenient for when him and Hyunjin forget to order their lunches in the company’s cafeteria beforehand.

He doesn’t question why Minho wanted to meet up with him. He already knows why, a nagging feeling in the pit of his stomach.

They engage in a casual conversation, Minho asking about Jisung’s work and why he didn’t bring a jacket because it’s still cold outside when the wind picks up. Jisung shoots him a smile, shrugging that he doesn’t get cold that easily.

The shaking of Minho’s head combined with that poorly concealed smirk tells him that the alpha thinks otherwise.

There is a perfect little spot by the lake—a wooden bench posed under the branches of a weeping willow. It’s so beautiful that Jisung momentarily thanks to whoever is up there that he doesn’t have seasonal allergies.

Minho lets him pick a spot in the sunlight, then sits beside him while leaving a comfortable amount of room between them. He outstretches his right hand with the first paper bag.

“I didn’t know which one you would like more, so…”

Jisung raises a curious eyebrow and takes the bag into his hand. When he peeks inside, he sees two separately wrapped sandwiches with the bakery’s logo printed on it in big and bold letters.

“One is mozzarella and the other is chicken,” Minho informs him as Jisung pulls out what looks like the second option. “You can choose whichever.”

His omega preens, and Jisung has a hard time supressing the urge to nuzzle into the alpha’s side, basking in the attention. Instead, he takes the chicken sandwich and begins to unwrap it, lips spread into a smile.

“Thank you, Minho. You didn’t have to bring me anything, though.”

Shaking his head, Minho takes the bag from him and fishes out the mozzarella. “I probably cost you your cafeteria lunch, so this is the least I can do.”

Jisung is still smiling as he takes the first bite, munching happily as he looks over the water. Sun rays reflect on the water, little sprinkles dancing between the ripples on the surface. He exhales softly, feeling strangely relaxed and calm all of a sudden in the middle of a busy work day.

Next to him, Minho is enjoying his lunch, too, stealing glances at the omega sitting. Jisung can sense his indecision, the familiar scent of anxiety seeping through his scent patch. In the end, Jisung decides that it will probably be for the best to spare him the mental gymnastics.

“You don’t have to worry, hyung,” he whispers, head tilted to the side. “About last night, I mean. We are good.”

Minho searches his eyes, knowing what Jisung is addressing with his reassurance. He nods once, closing the gap between their thighs. Warmth seeps through the material of Jisung’s clothes—the kind of warm that makes him feel cared for, desired.

It’s so weird how quickly the calming effect has built up between them, despite not being mated. Despite them not being close friends, even. Jisung’s hand absent-mindedly slips to rest over his stomach, but it seems like the movement escapes Minho’s attention.

“How are you feeling?”

“Actually great, I…um…,” Jisung begins, cheeks flushing red when the memory of last night flashes in front of his eyes. “I really liked what we did yesterday. And I don’t regret that we chose to do it without… ehm, you know.”

Minho bumps his knee with his, averting his eyes back to his half-eaten sandwich.

“I’m glad you enjoyed. I did, too. A lot.”

They share a conspiratorial smile, which gives Jisung the courage to ask the question he forgot the words to last night before he left.

“I was thinking that we could do it again, if you would want to? I could make an appointment with my doctor… for a more permanent solution.”

Jisung is glad that Minho seems to understand him without having to ask further questions. Jisung has never been a good liar, and he thinks that if Minho wanted him to elaborate, he would most probably get caught in the web of his own lies, trip and fall right onto his face.

He notices that his knee is now shaking with nervousness, and even though he tries to cover it by laying a hand on top of his thigh, Minho’s eyes are already pointed down.

Pressing his thigh harder against his, Jisung looks up and finds that Minho’s eyes have changed colour from their rich, chocolate brown to liquid caramel from the way the sun rays fall down onto his face. He blinks several times, but the beauty doesn’t disappear.

“I would like that, too,” he agrees with an honest smile. “But would you be okay with going on the pill, Sung?”

His tongue suddenly turning into a stone, Jisung nods and hopes that Minho won’t press further.

“Okay. But I must insist on helping you out. Financially,” Minho adds when he meets Jisung’s uncomprehending expression.

Fuck. Shit, fuck, he absolutely didn’t think of that. He can’t take Minho’s money for something that he isn’t going to buy. Wouldn’t that be considered a theft? Jisung’s heart begins pounding in his chest, his palms clamming with sweat.

“I appreciate that you want to help, hyung, but I got it covered. I can afford to buy medication.”

“I know you can. I just think that when it involves both of us, I should be responsible for my part of the deal.”

If the circumstances were different and they were really just hooking up, Jisung would start just outright crying. He really has never met an alpha that was more caring and considerate than Minho. But in this alternative universe, there is no way Jisung could ever accept money from him when his plan includes having more than just a good time with the alpha.

“Well then, you’ll have to find a different way of paying me because I’m not taking your money.”

Jisung crosses his hands, so that he appears more assertive than he actually feels. It pulls an amused smile from Minho, and, to his utter surprise, it works.

“Okay, okay,” the alpha concedes, taking the leftover sandwich wrap from Jisung’s hand. “I have no idea how much these medications cost, but what do you say that I’ll pay you in lunches? And I don’t mean these things,” Minho says as he crumples the paper wraps and puts them back into the bag, “but nutritional home cooked meals. Let’s say… five times a week?”

Even though the image of eating Minho’s homemade lunches every workday for the foreseeable future sounds like heaven and a solution to at least half of his problems, five times a week is still too much to accept. Anything is too much to accept, really, but he feels that by saying yes to Minho’s offer, it will also be beneficial for Minho’s well-being when he will be able to care for the omega he is sleeping with.

“Two times a week,” he offers instead.

“Three times.”

From the serious expression on Minho’s face, Jisung can sense that the alpha won’t back down this time. He can feel his dominance seeping through his posture—relaxed but attentive—telling his omega to surrender, because it will be better for the both of them if it does.

Jisung lets out a surprised sigh when something tickles him on the back of his hand. His knee stops shaking when he realizes that Minho has hooked their pinkies, the touch leading him back to the memory from last night, where their hands were intertwined, lying over Jisung’s stomach.

Jisung swallows dry, eyes slowly crawling back up to Minho’s face. He squeezes their interlocked fingers and nods.

“We have a deal, then.”

“Perfect,” Minho grins as he takes back his hand, turning away from Jisung for the forgotten second brown paper back. “Let’s seal it with dessert. Oh, and desserts are included in our lunch deal as well.”

Jisung fakes annoyance for exactly four seconds before he gives up and slaps Minho’s shoulder instead, only in a playful manner. The gesture feels weirdly intimate, because it is probably the first time that Jisung touched him like he would any of his friends. Like they have already become close for these things to be okay. Even in public.

Happiness spreads inside his chest when he realizes, and even more joy fills him when he sees the two neatly packaged pieces of cake. One that he guesses is a chocolate cheesecake and the other… possibly lemon zest and vanilla?

This time, Minho doesn’t ask which one he prefers. He hands him the chocolate cheesecake right away.

Jisung thanks him again, his mouth watering from the sight of his favourite sweet treat. He takes the wooden fork and dives right in, the first bite making him levitate.

“Wow,” he breaths out with his mouth still full.

Minho watches him as he places a piece of his own cake into his mouth, eyes rolling back to mimic his blissed-out expression. The gesture is so simple yet it makes Jisung smile wide, happy that the alpha is enjoying their time together just as much.

Then, Jisung’s curiosity makes him lean closer, trying to guess the exact flavour of the creamy cake.

“It’s coconut with orange zest. I wanted something with orange cream, but they didn’t have that in the menu,” Minho admits, as he takes another bite, eyes unmoving.

Pulling away quickly, Jisung goes back to nibbling at his cheesecake, pretending that Minho’s answer just didn’t reduce him into to a flustered mess. He puts another forkful into his mouth, cheeks ablaze. He knows that Minho is still watching him, but he can’t find the courage to look back.

Instead, he becomes alert when he his ears register a cry coming from nearby. He lifts his head to look around the park properly, his eyes landing on the little playground situated just across the pond. Jisung notices a child sitting in the sand, crying, while his parent rushes to get him off the ground and into their arms.

Jisung exhales suddenly, like he didn’t even register that he was holding his breath. He watches the baby being carried around, the parent trying to calm it down by rocking it in their arms. Even from here he can that nothing serious has happened, but Jisung continues to watch the playground intently as he finishes the last of his cheesecake.

He registers movement on his right side but doesn’t pay it much attention. It’s only the soft tone of Minho’s voice that manages to pull him back from where his mind has wandered.

“We should start heading back in a few.”

When Jisung shifts his eyes back to Minho, he finds the alpha smiling, his bunny teeth on display. Jisung doesn’t know why he finds it that much endearing.

“Mhm,” he answers as he gets up from the bench. “Thank you for the lunch, hyung.”

Minho returns his smile, gathering the garbage from their lunch. They slowly make their way back to the building, Jisung feeling energized like he never did from a cafeteria lunch. His body is vibrating, his omega excited and pacing in wait.

Before they can part ways to their respective offices, Minho stops Jisung by putting a hand on his waist, stepping closer than is probably decent for their workplace. Minho leans in so none of their colleagues milling around the hallway one can hear his next words.

“You can bring it back when you’ll be stopping by later this week.”

Confused, Jisung draws his eyebrows together.

“Bring back what?”

That’s when Minho pulls at the sleeve of his jacket that is wrapped around Jisung’s shoulder. But when did he manage to do that?!

Jisung is left speechless as he watches Minho slowly step away, going backwards into his own office as he watches him figure it out from afar. He suddenly remembers the movement in the park, realizing that he must have been so focused on the crying baby that he didn’t notice the alpha draping his jacket over his shoulders, protecting him from the wind and enveloping him in his scent.

Even if Minho didn’t say it out loud, Jisung knows what it means. The driftwood and salt might not be as strong as if Minho would have scented him himself, but it sends the same message anyway.

No other alpha tries to approach him for the rest of the day.

༻❁༺

It has been a week since their first baby-making session.

Well, baby-making for Jisung, at least.

It has been five days since Jisung told Minho that he went to see his doctor and got the prescription.

(For the record, he actually saw his doctor again, but that was because he needed a refill on his fertility shots, as he told her that he wouldn’t mate before trying for a baby. So technically, he only lied by not telling the whole truth, right?)

And, finally, it has been two days since they fucked for the second time without protection. Jisung texted Minho on Saturday around eight p.m., and before he knew it, he was knocking on the alpha’s door an hour later.

Minho took him against the kitchen counter this time, fucked him full of his cum and stayed inside him until Jisung cried and begged from oversensitivity. They eventually went for a round two after Jisung returned from the shower and found Minho with wet hair, looking all soft in his boxers and oversized t-shirt.

Minho let him be on top again as he sat on the bed and fucked into him from behind. Jisung was secretly pleased that the alpha wanted a repeat of their last time, putting in extra effort as he arched his back and met Minho’s thrusts as best as he could. After Minho made sure that he was okay and didn’t need to bring anything, Jisung ended up lying still on the sheets like last time, waiting for Minho to be done with his second shower.

It was a mutual agreement between them that neither of them spent the night. They met, fucked, made sure that both sides enjoyed it and were comfortable during the night, and then they said their goodbyes until they would meet again. So far, it was working spectacularly.

Jisung continued to take his fertility vitamins that made him incredibly horny whenever he caught just a tiny whiff of Minho’s scent, even during work days. It was torture, a torture that was solely his own doing according to Hyunjin’s words, but Jisung made sure to compensate for it during the nights he was with Minho.

The alpha was everything an omega could dream of. He was attentive and caring, but fucked him hard when Jisung begged him to, when he behaved as Minho told him to. He made sure that they never fucked without a proper aftercare, and made good on his part of their lunch deal.

So far, Jisung has tasted his incredible kimbap, kimchi stew, and jjajangmyeon. As for his desserts… Well, even Hyunjin couldn’t deny that he was jealous of Minho’s treatment.

They kept their relationship a secret from their coworkers. The rumours travelled fast at their workplace, and neither Jisung nor Minho wanted to deal with the consequences. Their sort-of-friends-with-benefits situation was best kept between the two of them and the walls of their apartments.

The only thing that irritated Jisung on daily basis was that some omegas couldn’t be discouraged from trying to shoot their shot with Minho. It wasn’t like they explicitly stated that each of them is going to keep it monogamous though, so the jealous feelings were all on Jisung.

Was Minho sleeping with other omegas?

If it wasn’t for his ultimate plan of getting pregnant, Jisung wouldn’t care who his one-night stand was sleeping with. But imagining that Minho might get some other omega pregnant… That stirred something vile in his stomach, his omega hissing at the thought of his alpha having a child that wasn’t his.     

Jisung was aware that his possessiveness has maybe gone too far, but he couldn’t help it. With all the chemistry and fertility boosters clouding his mind, he told himself that this was just a temporary side effect. It would all disappear after he finally conceived and forgot about the alpha.

In his weaker moment during today’s lunch, he blurted out his concerns to Hyunjin, who gave him his typical raised eyebrow.

“Ask him, then. And if it turns out that he is sleeping with someone else… Well, just tell him to stop.”

“I doubt that he would actually listen to me. We are not mated—we aren’t even in a relationship, Jin.”

“Yeah, but you both agreed to hit it raw, so if he has a sense of honour, he will stop if you ask him to.”

Jisung couldn’t refute that. Besides, he knew that Minho was honourable and reliable. It was the way he let those omegas cozy up to him without protest that was making Jisung overthink so hard, digging his nails into the meat of his palms whenever he caught a sight of them.

But maybe following up on Hyunjin’s advice wouldn’t be that bad.

When Minho texted him after work if they could meet up this evening, Jisung had already made up his mind.

He would ask him tonight.

༻❁༺

When the front door opens and reveals Minho with damp hair combed out of his forehead, standing in a white tee and shorts that definitely make Jisung’s eyes wander down to his thighs, Jisung knows that tonight is the night he is getting pregnant. With twins.   

“Hey, Jisungie,” the alpha greets him as he gestures for him to come inside. “I picked up some takeout on my way from the gym. Hope you like Thai.”

Jisung doesn’t even manage to process the fact that Minho has called him Jisungie before he is ushered into the kitchen slash dining room area. There are two plates and two containers of noodles waiting on the table, two beer cans standing in the middle.

“Did you have dinner?”

Jisung’s eyes follow Minho around the kitchen as the other is searching the top drawer for utensils. To say that he is surprised by Minho thinking about him while buying dinner is an understatement—he expected to be pulled into the alpha’s bedroom right away, just like every other time he has come to his apartment. But when Minho looks up and shoots him a curious smile, Jisung remembers that he was asked a question.

“Oh, um, I had some ramen at home but I’ll never say no to thai. Thank you, hyung. You didn’t have to.”

Minho mutter something Jisung can’t hear, then grins with satisfaction as he places the utensils onto the table. Jisung sits down and breaths in through his nose, the deliciously smelling food combining with Minho’s woody scent. It makes him immediately sag into the chair, his body feeling relaxed and comfortable.

He takes a look around Minho’s kitchen as the other plates their meals. He hasn’t been in here at all save for when Minho fucked him against the counter, but back then, he didn’t have much time to look around and admire his décor.

Just from the first look, he knows that his own kitchen couldn’t compare to Minho’s equipment-wise. There are pots and pans on his stove, knives displayed on that fancy magnetic strip-holder thingy. The whole place looks well loved, pictures and postcards adore the door of his fridge, the main theme being… cats?

“Do you like cats?” Jisung blurts out, not even sure why he is asking.

Minho follows his line of sight, then cracks a pleased smile. Sitting back down, he pulls up his phone and shows Jisung his lockscreen wallpaper.

“Yeah, I have three actually, but they are living at my parents’ house. The landlord wouldn’t let me bring them with me when I moved in.”

Jisung can’t help but coo at the three darlings, two ginger tabbies and one grey. He leans forward to ask for more photos, to which Minho happily obliges. He swipes through his folder dedicated solely to Soonie, Doongie and Dori, and tells him how to tell the kitties apart, mainly the first two.

They gush over them for so long that the steaming noodles go almost lukewarm. Jisung apologizes that he didn’t mean for the dinner to get cold, but Minho only shakes his head, insisting that he would always choose to brag about his babies rather than do anything else.

Jisung believes him—they are just too adorable.

As Jisung digs into his plate, he sees Minho reaching out his hand to grab one of the beer cans.

“Here, let me open you one…”

Jisung frantically drops his chopsticks and darts his hand out to cover Minho’s, his body quicker than his brain.

“I-I can’t drink alcohol,” he blabbers out, mind clearly not working.

Minho carefully places the can back down, tone interested. “That’s okay, no worries. Do you want to tell me why?”

Swallowing dry, Jisung takes his hand away, scrambling his brain for an answer.

“Um, sorry, I-I misspoke. I can drink, it’s just that I choose not to because of my health. Just… Trying to be as healthy as possible.”

Which, technically, isn’t a lie. What he doesn’t say is that he can’t drink alcohol after the fertility shot he injected himself with before he came here.

Minho nods in understanding. “What would you like to drink instead?” He stands up and goes to the fridge. “I bought a new carton of chocolate milk yesterday if you would like.”

Jisung considers it but asks for water in the end, not wanting to raid Minho’s supply of chocolate milk any further. He is surprised when the alpha fills up two glasses instead of just one.

“You’re right,” Minho says, shrugging his shoulders when Jisung shoots him a curious look, “it’s healthier.”

Jisung doesn’t question his decision, but he can’t stop smiling into his plate of half-eaten Thai.

He prompts Minho to tell him more about his cats, and the alpha happily jumps on the opportunity. It’s so endearing to see him talking about something that he keeps close to his heart, but also at the same time, Jisung can’t stop his eyes from wandering down to his legs, his thighs. The shorts wrap around his legs deliciously, the sight making Jisung bite the inner side of his cheek.

He shuffles in his seat as he feels the familiar heat coiling in his lower belly, his mouth watering. Minho gets distracted just a few moments after Jisung feels the first wave of slick leak out, making his underwear uncomfortably wet the longer he sits. He knows that Minho can sense it from where he is sitting, if his dilated pupils are any tell.

His plate isn’t even finished when he suddenly stands up, eyes focused only on Jisung. Their dinner part of the night officially ends when he takes his hand and drags him towards the bathroom without as much as a word. His movements are rushed, and Jisung doesn’t even register that he is being pressed against the counter, Minho’s grip tight on his waist.

More slick dribbles out, his hands instinctively bringing the alpha closer by his nape.

Minho doesn’t waste another second and presses his nose to Jisung’s scent gland, breathing in heavy gulps of freshly bloomed irises and ripe oranges. The warmth that radiates off of Minho’s body makes him want to lose himself to him completely—to let Minho have his way with him right now, like this.

He wants to feel the delicious pain when Minho stretches him with his cock.  

“Hyung,” Jisung whines right into his ear, nails digging into Minho’s nape.  

Minho must interpret his plea as a warning because he immediately pulls back, eyes searching his face with a serious expression.

“Sung-ah, I-I’m sorry,” he stumbles over his words, maybe for the first time ever. “I should have asked you before dragging you here like this.”

Shaking his head, Jisung can’t take it any longer. He is horny and desperate, and been wanting to jump Minho’s bones since he opened the front door. It’s a miracle that he lasted this long, really.

“No, just want you,” he exhales as he nuzzles his nose into Minho’s cheek, feeling the way the alpha is breathing hard with restraint. “Take me how you want. I want to feel you.”

Jisung hears a soft growl that sends shivers down his spine. He lets his head fall onto Minho’s shoulder as the alpha slips his hand into his boxers and feels how wet he is for him already. Mewls start falling from his mouth as Minho presses two fingers flat against his hole.

“Jisung-ah,” the name sounds like a prayer on his tongue. “I’ll take care of you, baby.”

They strip from their clothes, hands wandering and teasing. When they get into the shower, the scalding water feels like ice on Jisung’s feverish skin. The heat fogs up the mirror and the glass door of the shower, the condensation clinging to Jisung’s skin as Minho presses him up against it.

He feels Minho’s hard cock poking him into the small of his back, making him whine desperately for more. Minho already has two fingers inside his hole, littering kisses to his shoulders.

“So pliant, my perfect omega,” Minho whispers straight into his ear as he scissors him apart and adds a third finger right after. “Always ready to take alpha’s cock, right?”

Jisung nods his head because putting together a coherent sentence sounds impossible. He presses against Minho’s fingers, bites his lower lip and whines through gritted teeth when Minho begins to massage his prostate. The slick leaks out of him in rivulets, his cock already pulsating.

Jisung feels spit dribble from his mouth, his mind completely blank. He wants Minho to fuck him senseless, make sure that it takes. Against his better judgment, Jisung reaches behind himself to find Minho’s other hand and places it protectively over his lower belly, right where his bump would be.

“Do you like it when I touch you here?”

Again, Jisung nods as he tilts his head to find Minho’s eyes, the other already searching his face for confirmation. He starts making soothing circles with his palm, leaving Jisung more aroused than before.

“I know that some omegas like it,” Minho whispers into his ear. “It makes them feel safe when their alpha touches them like this.”

Jisung stops meeting Minho’s thrusts altogether as he feels his omega taking over, clawing up to the surface. It bares its teeth as Jisung turns his head to the side and hisses at him, but doesn’t move to put distance between them just yet. He is just making sure that Minho knows how he feels about him talking about other omegas, that this was him communicating his displeasure.

The alpha stops moving immediately, knowing what a clear warning looks like. He recoils and lowers his head, surprising Jisung with how easily he submits to his omega. Minho keeps his head bowed as he starts releasing calming pheromones, slowly pulling his fingers out. Jisung’s hisses slowly die down as he feels Minho’s regret laced through his scent.

He slowly turns around to face him fully, remembering Hyunjin’s words from earlier, and decides that he might as well just ask, now.

“Are you sleeping with other omegas, hyung?”

He hates that his voice quivers, hates that he feels so sensitive and fears Minho’s answer. Minho looks up when he hears his question, eyes creased with worry, but keeps his head low so as not to tower over Jisung.

“I haven’t slept with anyone but you since the ball, Jisungie.”

There is no change in Minho’s scent or his compliant demeanour. There is nothing that tells Jisung that Minho isn’t telling the truth, that he shouldn’t trust him.

Jisung places his hands back on Minho’s back, letting the alpha know that he isn’t angry with him. Minho lets himself be nuzzled as he carefully grabs Jisung by his hips again, his touch gentle and light.

They stand pressed together, calming each other with their scents. Jisung is the first one to rub his nose against Minho’s gland, telling him that he is sorry for lashing out without using words. He leaves kisses there, too, little playful nips. Minho’s heart beats steadily against his own chest, and he slowly relaxes into his arms again.

Minho mimics his movements, hands slowly inching towards his ass.

Into Jisung’s ear, he whispers, “Let me show you that you are the only one for me.”

Jisung finds himself nodding, letting himself be turned around and pressed to the glass. Minho keeps a steady hand on his hip as he presses his hard cock to his hole, sliding it into the cleft of his ass.

The glide is easy from the slick that has gathered there. Jisung mewls as Minho teases the head against his entrance, wanting to finally feel full again.

Minho is nosing at the skin of his back, and the nuzzling feels so intimate that it makes his legs go wobbly. Pressing harder against him, Minho starts dragging his teeth over his skin.

“I’m yours, Jisungie,” he utters as the tip slides past the tight ring of muscles. “There is no one more perfect for me than you.”

Jisung keens high in his throat, focusing on the delicious stretch. He has been prepped with two fingers and briefly with three, but it’s still a lot to take in. He welcomes the pain with a smile, knowing that Minho’s is going to be inside him fully in a matter of moments.

“Alpha,” he whines, clenching around the tip. “Need more.”

Minho doesn’t make him beg for his cock this time. He is still submitting when he does as Jisung asks of him, pressing more and stretching his hole with a wet squelch. Minho’s chin digs into his shoulder when the alpha sucks a love mark into his neck.

When Minho finally bottoms out, Jisung is unbearably hard and leaking. He resists the temptation to wrap his hand around himself, wanting to feel the pain and the pleasure for as long as he can.

Minho lets him get used to the stretch for a few breaths, then starts moving with a brutal tempo. He drives his cock inside and out, the head catching onto his rim every time he pulls out completely.

And then, when Jisung least expects it, Minho licks a spot on the back of his neck and bites.

Tears spill out of Jisung’s eyes when he pictures that Minho is claiming him for real as he fucks into his hole with vigour, finally feels like he is the only one the alpha has ever thought of. Minho has him locked with his tight grip and his teeth, driftwood and salt so strong that Jisung can taste it in his mouth, can feel the vastness of the ocean enveloping his senses.

He lets himself be fucked exactly how he wanted—his body pliant and at Minho’s mercy. The cock inside him makes him choke anytime Minho drives into his prostate, his own hand back over his belly. Jisung can’t get enough of the euphoria that runs through his veins, spreading his legs wider for better access.

Suddenly, Minho stops moving after he presses his entire weight into Jisung. He is balls deep inside him, his teeth making an indent into his skin, and all Jisung can think of is that he is going to be filled with his cum. That he is going to be carrying Minho’s pup inside him.

“You are mine, Jisung,” the alpha growls as he slowly unclasps his teeth.

Minho licks the surface wound thoroughly, all the while his hard cock is pressed into him, making an indent into his body. When Jisung shifts his weight from one foot to the other, he can feel Minho’s weight inside move with him. The sensation almost makes him come on the spot, untouched.

“You are going to take whatever I give you, understand?”

Jisung moans when he feels Minho’s fingers prodding at his hole, knowing what’s about to come next.

“Tell me you understand.”

Tilting his head to the side, Jisung finds Minho’s wild eyes, pupils completely blown. His lips are red, strands of hair falling into his eyes. He is perfect.

“I-I understand.”

Minho rewards him with a kiss behind his ear, then slowly presses one finger in alongside his cock.

Jisung cries, feeling like he is going to break in half.

“That’s it, baby. My perfect boy.”

He feels the digit slipping inside. The stretch is insane, but Jisung likes the pain that comes with being good. That comes with the pleasure and the ability to please the alpha.

“I’ll give you my cum if you take the second one, too.”

Minho’s lips leave a tingling feeling on his skin, a challenge he can not step down from. Jisung takes a deep breath as a second finger prods at his entrance, then slips inside past the first knuckle. He feels spit dribbling out of his mouth, falling down to combine with his tears and slick on the floor.

Minho kisses his neck as he pulls out just a little so he can fit his finger in, then fucks into him again with full force. The scream that comes out of Jisung’s throat is a broken one, the pressure he feels in his belly making it all worth it. He feels so full and claimed, like the only omega that can please Minho’s alpha. That can carry his pups.

“You’ve been so good, Jisungie,” Minho praises him as he slowly takes the fingers out and resumes his thrusts. “Now, open your mouth for me.”

Jisung does as he is told, opening up and letting Minho stuff his mouth with his slick-covered digits. He laves his tongue around them, his moans muffled by the weight in his mouth. Now, he can hear clearly the wet sounds coming from where Minho is fucking his puffy hole, his groans filling Jisung’s ear.

He comes unexpectedly just a few moments after that, his little cock spilling over the glass door of the shower. Minho moves his hand from his mouth to milk his orgasm, his own thrusts becoming erratic. Jisung knows that the alpha is on the verge of his precipice when he flushes his body to Jisung’s back, nails digging into his hip.

Minho comes inside with a cry of his name, his release coating his insides white. Jisung takes a deep breath and clenches around Minho, letting the alpha know that he wants to take everything he has got to give.

Minho lets his spent cock be, taking his hand back. He winds it around Jisung’s middle, keeping their bodies flushed by his tight grip. Jisung tilts his head and nuzzles his nose into Minho’s wet hair, satisfied by the alpha’s attention, his care.

“Are you okay, Jisungie?”

“Mhm,” Jisung reassures him by leaving a kiss in his hair. “It was perfect.”

“Didn’t it hurt too much?”

“No, hyung-ah, I liked it.”

When Minho opens his eyes to find his, Jisung loses himself in the soft brown of his irises. His face is flushed red, just as the tips of his ears. He looks so cuddly like this, and Jisung wants nothing more than to wrap himself around him and not let go.

But that surely must be his post-orgasm brain talking. Or the fertility hormones.

Eventually, Minho gently pulls out, both hands planted to Jisung’s waist. He feels the warm cum spilling down his thighs, feeling the need to sit down and keep as much as possible inside. When he is about to turn around and rinse his body under the stream, he is surprised to find that the iron grip on his waist is still there.

“Minho?” He whispers, unsurely.

It’s right then that he feels one of Minho’s hands move towards his ass, spreading his cheeks apart. He lets out a surprised gasp when the alpha slides his tongue over his entrance, then fucks the cum back inside.

Jisung dares to tilt his head to the side, watching Minho kneel down onto the floor. His eyes are pointed up to Jisung’s face as he continues to lap at his hole, as he swallows the mixture of slick and cum down his throat. He can do nothing but watch, feeling that warmth spread inside his chest, his belly.

Minho licks him clean before he pulls him under the shower head and washes his hair, lathers his scalp with his citrusy shampoo. He growls softly in warning when Jisung tries to do anything on his own, Minho instructing him to let himself be pampered.

And who would Jisung be to refuse that?

After Minho takes care of himself, he wraps Jisung in a fluffy towel and takes the hair dryer from its shelf. He is about to start combing through his locks when Jisung remembers what happened before they fucked, and a pang of guilt makes his stomach turn.

“I’m sorry I hissed at you, hyung. I shouldn’t have done that.”

Minho reads his face, slowly putting the blow dryer onto the counter. His eyes are gentle, inquiring.

“Why did you think I was sleeping with other omegas, Jisungie?”

“I just… I’m sorry. I saw you talking with our omega coworkers, and it felt like they were pretty cozy with you, and I got jealous, which I know is like, stupid and all, because we aren’t even together, and we didn’t agree on sleeping exclusively with each other, and—”

During his rambling monologue, Minho crosses the distance between them, taking Jisung by his waist. The weight of his hand is familiar, comforting.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay. I understand,” Minho soothes him. “It’s normal to get territorial over someone you are having sex with, Sung. I should have set my boundaries with them after we started sleeping with each other. I’ll make sure to fix that.”

Jisung exhales all the anxiety and fear, the anger that have managed to bubble up to the surface. He leans into Minho’s touch, releasing his pheromones for the alpha.

Then, Jisung remembers the rumours that he has heard about Minho, and knows that he needs to ask, otherwise his head won’t stop spinning.

“Um… If you don’t mind me asking,” he begins, unsure, “have you slept with any of those omegas before me?”

Minho softly nods, his ears going from flushed to crimson red.

“I, uh… I used to help Seonghwa and Yeosang with their heats, but I won’t anymore.”

Another exhale, this one heavier. “Thank you, hyung.”

Minho shakes his head, a smile creeping to his lips. He takes another step closer.

“Would you let me scent you before you go home?”

Jisung is more than happy to oblige.

༻❁༺

Jisung feels a slow shift in their relationship during those weeks leading up to May and its longer days and warm evenings.

Well, that is if you could even call it a relationship.

It’s been a little over four weeks since they struck their deal. Jisung has never felt so rejuvenated after those nights he spent with Minho, feeling happy just from knowing that he is going to see him again, either for their lunch or for other, much, much more fulfilling activities.

Minho also made sure to put some distance between himself and the other two omegas, making the greedy animal in Jisung’s chest satisfied. After he saw Seonghwa and Yeosang interact with Minho in a much less intimate way one morning, he made sure to let the alpha know about his feelings by texting him a series of messages that would get him fired from his job if his managers ever found out what he was doing on company time.

But Minho? Minho used his messages to tease him endlessly after they met that night, making Jisung cry into his pillow as he fucked him on all fours while he slapped him for every dirty word Jisung sent him during that day. It’s safe to say that Jisung had to spend an additional half an hour just lounging in Minho’s bed before he was able to stand up and go take a shower.

They now ate lunch together every other day in the cafeteria or, when the sun was shining outside, they took to the park. Even though he never planned for this to become a part of his daily life, he was slowly learning about the alpha, about the little things that made up his life.

Jisung now knew how much Minho could bench press (a lot, which he is planning to take advantage of in some other ways, too), knew the name of his childhood best friend (Seungmin), and discovered that he learnt all of his cooking from his dad, and the baking from his mom.

Minho was dreamy. He asked all about Jisung’s life, too, and somehow Jisung found himself explaining all the little things that made him who he was. His love for chocolate that he shared with his brother, his love for nature documentaries that he discovered while he broke his arm as a kid, and it was the only thing that would interest him enough so that he eventually forgot about the pain.

And even though—or, maybe precisely because of that—they got together perfectly well during their workdays and nights alike, Jisung couldn’t stop pondering about the inevitable end. He couldn’t say that it made him sad, because it would mean that he finally got what he wanted from the start, but at the same time, it would mean that their friendship would be no longer.

No shared laughs during lunch, no gentle hands caressing his waist during the nights.

He never planned to keep Minho in the picture after he got pregnant. He never knew that this would become something more than a means to a desired end.

Still, Jisung couldn’t change his plan. He wanted his little family, even if it just meant him and his child. He wanted to take care of someone, put his love somewhere it could take root and give back to the world. He knew that he would be happy, but couldn’t say what would happen if he let the alpha know.

The closer they grew together, the stronger the fear in his chest got every day. Jisung couldn’t say how Minho would react if, or rather, when, he learnt the truth. He didn’t even want to picture it.

As always, he couldn’t help but share his thoughts with his friend. Maybe it was the sad look on his face, but Hyunjin didn’t tell him the usual I told you so that Jisung would absolutely deserve. Instead, the omega wrapped him in his arms and ruffled his hair with his nose.

Then, Hyunjin asked, “It’s been four weeks since you started sleeping together, right?”

Jisung nodded, comforted by the lavender scent coming from Hyunjin’s sweater.

“I think it’s time to find out if your plan was successful or not.”

༻❁༺

Jisung is shuffling his feet on the bathroom floor, biting his nails and flicking impatient eyes towards where the stick is lying next to the sink. His skin is vibrating, his stomach turning in on itself with nerves.

“Two more minutes,” Hyunjin states as he watches the time on his phone. “Stop biting your nails, Sung.”

Jisung glares at him, but lets his abused cuticles be. He crosses his hands over his chest instead, feeling like he is going to explode if he stands still for longer than a minute. He doesn’t know why the whole thing is making him want to puke.

“Okay,” the other omega announces, laying his phone down. “Do you want me to check it first?”

Heart beating in his ears, Jisung takes two seconds to make up his mind. He marches towards the counter, snatches the stick without looking. Deep breaths in and out, he gathers the courage to open his eyes.

Negative.

He shakes the stick, despite being almost one hundred percent sure that it won’t change the outcome.

It doesn’t.

Jisung turns to face Hyunjin, not needing to say a word. His friend recognizes the crestfallen expression and reaches out for his hand.

“Hey, it’s okay, Sungie,” his tone is so gentle that it doesn’t help. It only makes Jisung want to cry more. “You know that these things aren’t always reliable.”

“I know… I just hoped that it would work out on the first try.”

He lets himself be pulled into a hug, feeling the first tears roll down his cheeks.

There is really nothing else to say, so they just stand there in Jisung’s bathroom, pressed together. Hyunjin releases his calming pheromones, helping Jisung relax into his embrace. Jisung thanks him by nosing at his scent gland, feeling safe in the arms of his friend.

Then, he remembers something else.

“Minho is coming over tonight.”

A beat of silence.

“Do you still want him to come?”

“Yeah, I do…,” Jisung exhales, sniffling into Hyunjin’s shirt. “Is it weird that I have the urge to tell him that it was negative?”

Logically, Jisung knows he can’t tell Minho that he did a pregnancy test while looking all mopey when he found out that he wasn’t pregnant. Still, he wants to be comforted by the alpha, wants to make sure that they can still try again.

Hyunjin shakes his head. “Your situation is… unusual, but I get it. If it were me, I’d probably want to do the same.”

“Thanks, Jinnie.”

They cuddle until Hyunjin starts complaining about Jisung’s neediness, and wriggles out of their embrace, leaving Jisung with a giant pout on his face.

The pregnancy test goes into the trash bin, joined by the empty syringe Jisung injected himself with after he sent Hyunjin home, needing to get ready for the night with Minho.

Plopping himself down onto his couch, he turns his TV on and makes himself comfortable to watch whatever is next on his Watch Later list before Minho arrives. His mind is turned off, his hand protectively placed over his belly. His eyes have managed to dry enough to look like he wasn’t even crying that hard, so that’s something.

Checking the date on his phone calendar, he does the mental math and counts the remaining days until his next heat. His highest fertility window opens in about a week from now, so he makes a mental note to ask Minho if he would want to spend it with him. Even though they wouldn’t be mated, Jisung would still have a higher chance of conceiving than outside of his heat.

When he hears the soft knocking on his door, Jisung slowly gets up from his couch, dragging his feet after him. He wants to see the alpha, wants to be comforted by his touch and his scent—Jisung just fears that he might start crying again without being able to explain why.

Opening his front door, it reveals Minho standing in his washed-out jeans and black hoodie. His soft smile dies on his lips the second their eyes lock, making Jisung wince when he notices the change in the alpha’s expression.

Just when did Minho become so attuned to him?

“Hey, Jisungie,” Minho greets him as he steps inside his apartment. “Are you feeling okay?”

Jisung nods, looking anywhere else but Minho’s face. “Yeah, I’m just… Just a bit tired is all.”

Driftwood and salt mix with his irises, the combination already so familiar that Jisung instinctively seeks more. The moment Minho has his shoes and jacket off, he plasters himself to the alpha’s chest, and almost whimpers when he feels strong arms wrapping around his middle to keep him there. He buries his nose into Minho’s scent gland.

His omega squeals with happiness when Minho tilts his head to the side so Jisung can get better access. He rubs his cheek on Minho’s skin, leaving his own scent on the alpha. It reminds him of that one time after they had fucked nasty in the shower, how Minho insisted on scenting him before letting him go home.

After a while, Minho tilts his head back so he can whisper into Jisung’s ear, “We don’t have to do anything tonight, if you don’t want to, baby. We can just be like this.”

Jisung leaves a kiss on his neck before he pulls away, proud of himself for not crumbling to the floor.

“Come with me.”

Jisung grabs Minho by his hand and leads him towards the living room. He tells him to lie down on the couch, then presses his back against Minho’s chest as he finds the most comfortable position. But with Minho’s body breathing against his, any position would do as long as Jisung could feel him close.

“Want to watch this documentary with me, hyung? It’s about whales.”

Minho murmurs a soft yes into his hair, his hand sliding down to loop around his waist. Jisung brings his own atop Minho’s, their fingers intertwining. Minho’s warmth seeps into his body, comforting his distraught omega.

They lie pressed together on Jisung’s small couch, Minho making a little commentary here and there about what is happening on the screen. It makes Jisung giggle more times than he can count, a smile slowly creeping to his face.

He shares his own thoughts on the documentary with Minho, finally feeling like the tight grip around his heart is loosening, bit by bit. He nuzzles back into Minho, weaving their legs together. Like this, he feels safe, protected from all the harm in the world.

When Minho rubs his nose against his cheek, Jisung can’t help the chuckle that escapes from his mouth, letting his head fall back to make room for him. The alpha starts kissing his jaw, working his way down to his neck and shoulder. Jisung loves his playfulness, loves that he gets to see this side of Minho.

After they both lose track of what is happening on the screen, Minho asks gently, “How are you feeling now, Jisungie?”

Jisung turns his head so he can find his gaze, little sparks dancing in those brown eyes.

“Better,” he answers and actually means it. “Thank you, hyung. You are my lifesaver.”

Feeling the spark of desire catching in his lower belly, Jisung presses his lower half into Minho’s crotch. He deliberately moves up and down as he stares into his eyes, lips parted and inviting.

Minho exhales deeply through his nose, his grip tightening on Jisung’s middle.

“We don’t have to.”

Those words come out with Minho’s typical assertiveness, but his voice quivers as Jisung starts releasing pheromones, ripe oranges that he knows the alpha has a hard time saying no to.

“I know. But I want to, if… if you want me, too.”

At that, Minho presses against Jisung, his cock already half-hard through his jeans.

It makes goosebumps appear all over Jisung’s body when Minho whispers against the shell of his ear, “I always want you, Jisung.”

Those five simple words shouldn’t make his heart beat so fast. Jisung thinks that Minho is slowly becoming too dangerous for his health.

He whines as Minho’s hand slips down to the front of his sweats, cupping his bulge. The pleasure he feels from having his cock stimulated isn’t as intense as when he is being fingered or fucked, but he still likes it when Minho touches him there.

They undress slowly, still lying on the couch. Jisung can already tell that this time is going to be different from the way their scents change around them. He can feel Minho’s desire to make sure he is protected, to comfort him and make him forget his qualms. But there is also something else Jisung can’t really place. Something sweet that makes his mouth water, his fangs hurt.

As they lie pressed together, completely naked save for Jisung’s t-shirt that is actually Minho’s from several weeks ago, the alpha’s hands explore his body, his movements careful and reverent.

“Fuck me like this, hyung,” Jisung whispers to him, Minho’s cock already gliding up and down between his asscheeks.

Snorting, Minho noses at his cheek.

“Did my omega forget how to ask when he wants something?”

My omega. Jisung preens, moving his body up and down to provoke the alpha further. It’s not like all those last times when they slept together—this is more playful, more emotional. He is basking in the feeling, in what he knows comes next.

“Please, alpha. I’ll be good for you.”

Those words are whispered, not as a desperate plea but a promise.

“I know you will,” Minho says as he grabs Jisung by his thigh. “Now keep your legs spread sweetheart, just like this. Alpha is going to take care of everything.”

Jisung keeps one of his legs bent and propped on Minho’s hip. Minho whispers dirty words into his ear as he inches his hand towards his entrance, spreading his cheeks apart and gently pressing against his hole with his whole palm.

Clenching around nothing, Jisung mewls as Minho touches him like this is their first time, like time ceases to exist. It takes him so long before he even slips in the first finger, wanting to make the pleasure as intense as possible. Jisung is already leaking slick all over his couch and Minho’s front, but that’s the last thing he cares about right now.

“I love how open you are, already moulded to my cock even though I haven’t made you take my knot yet.”

“Ah, ah fuck!”

Jisung curses loudly when Minho slips in the second finger without resistance. The image of Minho forming a knot inside him doesn’t help his state either.

“I know you would be so good. Would do anything for my knot, wouldn’t you, baby?”

Pulling out his fingers gently, Minho hushes his cries with a kiss to his temple as he presses the tip of his cock to his entrance. He doesn’t move, lets Jisung’s anticipation build up.

“Please, alpha, I-I want it.”

“What do you want, Jisungie?”

“Your k-knot,” he whimpers as he tries to press against him. “Alpha’s knot.”

“Good boy.”

The praise makes him dribble slick out of his cock pathetically, Minho’s hot breath on his face makes him want to taste him on his tongue.

Then, Minho brings him closer by his waist and locks him in a tight hold.

“I’m going to fuck you slowly. Want to be inside you until you come twice.”

Tears of pleasure roll down Jisung’s face as Minho pushes his cock inside. It’s torturously delicious, the way Jisung can feel every drag, everything: Minho’s laboured breath, the possessive grip on his hip, his hole stretching around the alpha to make room.

It’s lazy in a way that there is no rush to get to the end. When Minho pushes halfway in, he stops to nuzzle at his neck, as if he wasn’t achingly hard and desperately needing release. He leaves wet kisses on his skin, so tender that Jisung almost comes from picturing how they look from afar—his body cock-warming Minho, while the alpha shows his devotion by taking care of Jisung’s pleasure first.

“Minho,” Jisung breathes out, his mind clouded with desire. “It feels, ah, it feels so good.”

It’s Jisung’s needy tone that makes Minho press inside again, slipping almost all the way in. The TV is still playing, and Jisung watches the deep blue sea, not needing to picture what it would feel like to stand on that beach. He already knows that it couldn’t compare with Minho and his scent, his warm presence rivalling the sun.

The wet squelches reach his ears as Minho bottoms out. He is breathing hard, his chest rising and falling frantically. Jisung feels so full, so connected to the alpha that he does something he didn’t know he could do intentionally until now.

“Jisungie,” there is a noticeable surprise in his voice. “Are you purring?”

Grinning, Jisung reaches for Minho’s hand and sneaks it under his t-shirt, drapes it over his chest where the sound comes from. Minho gasps in wonder, pressing his palm against where his heart is beating steadily.

“It feels really good for me right now,” he tells Minho. “It means my omega knows I’m safe with you.”

Minho stays fully flushed to his back for a long while, entirely entranced by the sound coming from Jisung’s chest. He places kisses on his shoulder, nips at his skin here and there. When Jisung turns his head to catch his eyes, he surprises him by kissing the tip of his nose, too, seemingly not realizing that he has even done it.

“I’m going to move now, baby. Relax, okay?”

Still wide-eyed, Jisung nods and stays in this position for long enough to catch Minho’s face as he slowly pulls out and slides back in. His pupils are blown, almost entirely black. There are beads of sweat on his face, some gathering at his cupid’s bow.

The longer Jisung looks at his lips, the more he realizes that he was stupid to tell himself not to kiss him. Minho’s lips should be kissed. Every day, by his own.

He parts his mouth without knowing what he is going to do. The next thing Jisung knows is that he is lifting his head up, and in the next moment, Minho hits his sweet spot dead on and makes him scream with pleasure. His head falls back down onto the pillow, all thoughts forgotten.

Minho keeps pulling out all the way and driving inside, the filthy sounds of skin slapping on skin are making his heart beat like crazy. Jisung can already feel the fire stirring in his lower belly, a sign of his approaching orgasm.

“Hyung,” he warns him, “I-I’m gonna…”

But he doesn’t manage to say the rest in time. Jisung comes with Minho’s name falling from his lips like a prayer, his cock spurting slick all over his front and chest. Minho helps him ride his high by pressing inside all the way as he sneaks his hand down between his thighs and strokes him until there is nothing more for Jisung to give.

Jisung feels sweaty, there is so much slick coating his and Minho’s thighs that it should feel repulsive. But somehow, he doesn’t want to let go of him.

“Minho-yah,” he sighs when the oversensitivity starts creeping in.

Minho is still hard inside him, his cock pulsating and leaking precum. He doesn’t want to let go, but he also needs to catch his breath before going again.

“Feeling okay, Jisungie?”

He nods, tilting his head to catch Minho’s eyes. There is palpable hunger looking back at him, but most importantly, Jisung thinks that he can’t stand not knowing what Minho looks like when he comes any longer.

Jisung starts pulling away, feeling Minho’s questioning gaze digging into his back.

He surprises the alpha by pushing him to lie on his back with his hands on his shoulders, straddling his aching cock and propping himself onto Minho’s chest. It feels just like the first time they fucked raw, but now, Jisung doesn’t want to miss a single blink, a single smile that Minho makes when he comes inside.

“Want to look at you,” he whispers, unsurely. “Is that okay?”

Minho’s hands steady him by reclaiming their place on his hips. He presses him against his cock, slick leaking from him in rivulets.

“Anything you want.”

Jisung presses his forehead against Minho’s as the alpha starts guiding himself to his hole. Jisung relaxes his muscles, dropping down his body onto Minho’s cock after he feels the head prodding at the entrance. The slide is easy, so much so that he starts moving right away.

Minho doesn’t let him do all the work. He meets Jisung’s movements with his thrusts, slides his hands down to spread his cheeks and feels his cock going inside and out. Jisung feels worshiped with his gentle touch, the soft caress of his fingers.

The sex is much more intense like this, when Jisung can read every tiny reaction straight from Minho’s face. His eyebrows crease anytime Jisung clenches around him, his groans grow more intense as Jisung noses at his scent gland. It’s still lazy, but much more charged than when Minho took him from the back. Most of all, Jisung regrets all the times he could have seen him like this and didn’t.  

He lets Minho set his own rhythm, taking everything the alpha gives him. It’s slow, and sometimes Minho doesn’t even pull out completely. He also doesn’t look away even once from the sight of Jisung riding him, their chests almost pressed together.

Then, one of Minho’s hands reaches up to fist into his shirt and pulls.

“I love seeing you in my clothes.”

Jisung grins slyly as he moves up and down in synchronicity with Minho’s hips, his own cock standing half hard again.

“I usually wear them to bed,” Jisung whispers, watching Minho’s eyes glint in the light of the TV screen. “It smells like you when I wake up.”

One particularly hard thrust, and Jisung’s body starts slowly giving out from the intense massage to his sweet spot. His arms shake where they are holding him upright on Minho’s shoulders, causing him to press himself to the alpha’s chest, his head resting in the crook of his neck.

Jisung knows Minho is painfully close when he flushes himself to his body on every thrust, and stays there for a few seconds before pulling back. Jisung is watching his face contort in pleasure, one of his hands tangling in his soft hair. When he pulls just a little, Minho turns his face to him, their gazes meeting.

“Come inside, hyung. I need you,” Jisung whispers.

Minho doesn’t leave him begging for long, but makes sure that he does well on his promise to have Jisung come twice on his cock. He sneaks his hand between Jisung’s thighs, stroking his length in time with his thrusts.

No one has come up with words that could describe Minho’s beauty when he reaches his high. Jisung watches him through half-lidded eyes as he rides out his own orgasm, breaths laboured and body spent. There are tears in Minho’s eyes, which make him want to reach out and kiss them away.

Jisung moves down his chest to where he can hear his beating heart, Minho’s hands holding him tightly around his waist. He is still buried deep inside him, both of them revelling in the closeness. His body rises and falls with Minho’s breath, up and down, up and down.

They don’t speak for a long time as they just lie there, sweaty and sticky. Jisung feels boneless after two orgasms and the prior emotional rollercoaster, needing only the alpha’s presence.

“Jisungie,” Minho’s voice comes out raspy. “Let me clean up?”

Reluctantly, Jisung props himself onto his elbows and slowly eases himself off of Minho’s spent cock. They exchange positions on the (admittedly ruined) couch, but before Minho disappears into the bathroom for a wet towel, he places a quick kiss to his forehead, leaving Jisung staring at him, stunned.

His hands wrap around his belly, his omega deeply satiated. Maybe after they clean up and replenish their energy, they could go for another round, Jisung ponders. Maybe Minho would even want to stay for longer than usual.

Jisung starts humming to himself when Minho isn’t returning from the bathroom. He tries to listen for a flushing toilet or for the running water, but everything is calm and quiet.

When Minho finally comes into his view again, he has a wet towel in his hand and an unreadable expression. Their eyes meet for a split second before Minho looks away.

His hands are still gentle on his skin, but he really does look exhausted. Jisung reaches out his hand, but before he can touch him, Minho is standing up and throwing the dirty towel on the floor. He gathers his clothes, still deadly quiet.

“Hyung,” Jisung whispers, not even sure if Minho has heard. When he doesn’t answer or look up from where he is pulling on his jeans, Jisung tries again. “Um, could you… Stay with me for a little longer?”

He hates how unsteady his voice sounds. What has happened in the few minutes that Minho was gone? Did he think that they took it too far tonight? Does he regret it now?

Minho helps Jisung to load the washer with the couch covers and dirty pillowcases, then follows him into the bedroom. He is just standing there with his mouth pursed into a thin line, eyes drilling into the floor. Jisung can’t even decipher his scent—it doesn’t feel as intense as before, but the typical sourness of being upset isn’t present as well.

Maybe Minho can mask his scent more than Jisung thought.  

“Ehm,” he says as he shuffles his feet, heart racing with anxiety. “Thank you for tonight, hyung. I-I felt really good. I hope you did, too.”

His words finally make Minho acknowledge him for longer than two seconds, but now, when he has a clear view of his face, he knows that something is definitely wrong.

“Is… Are you okay, Minho?”

Jisung can clearly see him hesitating with his answer. Minho opens and closes his mouth, seeming like an inner battle has broken out in his mind. In the end, Jisung sees something shift behind his eyes. Something unfamiliar.

Minho nods once when their eyes meet, then gestures towards his bed. “I’ll stay with you until you fall asleep.”

He lies with his back pressed against Minho’s, the alpha’s hand resting on his hip. He isn’t even lying under the covers, and Jisung knows that he shouldn’t expect that he would want to spend the night here. It’s what they agreed not to do.

Jisung can feel Minho’s hot breath on his nape, but he is disappointed when he realizes that Minho isn’t nuzzling up close to him, as he did back on the couch. Even with his hand draped over his body, it feels like Minho is miles away from this bed, his body.

Jisung curls up into a ball of tangled limbs, eyes tightly shut. He can’t break down now.

“Goodnight, hyung.”

Silence. Three beats, and then the first tear falls.

“Goodnight.”

Jisung doesn’t know when exactly he falls asleep, but when he wakes up in the morning, the spot where Minho was lying is stone cold. And somehow, Jisung knows that this is it.

༻❁༺

Despite the warm spring weather that welcomes him anytime he steps outside the company’s building, Jisung’s days get more bleak as his mood becomes progressively more sullen and depressed.

He goes to work, talks with Hyunjin and his coworkers, goes home and straight to his bed to overthink. And cry—most of all, to cry.

All because Minho has been avoiding him since they last saw each other almost a week ago. It began when Jisung sent him a text the next morning and checked every half an hour for Minho’s response, which never came. Till this day, he has never even read his message.

Hyunjin shoots him pitying looks anytime he thinks Jisung isn’t looking. It pisses him off, but he doesn’t have the energy to tell the other omega to stop. It would just result in more bickering, which he doesn’t really need right now.

And to top it all off, Jisung has heard rumours going around in the hallways of their department, his and Minho’s name being whispered in one breath. He doesn’t know what his colleagues are gossiping about exactly, but knowing from experience, it can’t be anything good.

He manages to see Minho only in passing. Be it a fleeting glimpse of his back as he walks past Jisung’s office or the faintest whiff of his scent, Minho never stops to look around. Jisung wanders what would Minho do if they crossed paths with no chance of either one of them escaping.

During his sleepless nights, he narrows his overthinking to two things.

First of all, what happened that night? Everything was going perfectly fine, and Jisung swears that Minho felt the shift, too. The shift in the alpha’s scent, in his affections.

He could have sworn that something happened the moment Minho let him get on top, let him see his face contort in pleasure when he came inside.

But maybe, Jisung is starting to think that it might have just been his mind, playing its cruel tricks.

Which leads him into a spiralling rabbit hole that always ends up with one thought he is terrified of.

As Jisung replays theses past several weeks in his head on repeat, he thinks he can trace back to where it all began.

The first time Minho called him Jisungie.

When the alpha submitted to him so easily, as if it was his second nature.

When their scents got sweeter.

When he thought of kissing Minho for the first time since the night of the ball.

Jisung realizes he has fallen for the alpha only after he lands straight onto his face. When it’s just a little bit too late to make his feelings known to him.

Somewhere along the way, his plan for a pup changed into a desire for a life with Minho and their family.

This realization hits him like a freight train. His stomach turns, and Jisung sobs uncontrollably as he empties his dinner into the toilet bowl. That night, he spends most of it in his bathroom, kneeling on the floor and beating himself up for being so stupid. For thinking that he wouldn’t fall in love with the most perfect alpha he has ever met.

“Jisungie,” Hyunjin’s soothing voice carries over the phone at nearly four-thirty in the morning. “It’s going to be fine, honey. I’m here, just breathe with me, okay?”

Jisung places a hand over his heart and tries to listen to his friend. But it’s so fucking hard when he feels like he is never going to taste salt air on his tongue again.

༻❁༺

The suburbs are so much greener than the city—prettier, too.

Jisung watches the scenery pass behind the glass from his seat by the window, the sun streaming into his face. In his hands, he holds a neatly wrapped box with a pink bow sitting on top of it. Next to him, Hyunjin scrolls onto his phone, his head propped on Jisung’s shoulder.

He was pleasantly surprised when Felix phoned him few days prior, inviting him and Hyunjin for his daughter’s late baby shower. “Late”, because their pup had already been born three months ago, but because of Felix’s high-risk pregnancy, he and Chan made the decision to welcome their baby on their own first.

But now, when Eunji has grown and with her and Felix being out of the woods, the parents decided to show their pup to their friends and family in a big fashion. The photos of Eunji that Felix had sent him after their call lifted Jisung’s spirits significantly, making his mind busy with curating the perfect gift for the baby girl.

It definitely helped him escape from his own worries, at least for a little while.

They exit the train on the next stop, then begin the ten-minute walk to the front gate of the blue family house standing at the beginning of the street. The neighbouring homes look just as dreamy, all adorned with front gardens and green backyards.

Hyunjin points out the architecture as they go, his yapping distracting Jisung from his overwhelming thoughts. He is grateful to his friend, bumping their shoulders in the process.

Jisung can hear the commotion before he sees their friends. The house is already busy with people going in and out of the door into the back garden, some familiar faces milling around. Jisung thinks he sees Changbin and Jeongin standing together among the crowd—Chan’s longtime best friends.

“Ready?” Hyunjin asks him before he reaches for the front gate. He knows that huge gatherings of people are not his favourite place to be, least of all now.

Jisung nods and gives his friend a tiny smile. They step through the gate, greeting the people they pass by.

First, they search the house for the married couple, and eventually manage to catch a glimpse of Chan as the alpha disappears into the kitchen, hands full of dirty dishes. They follow the smell of pine and burnt embers, the scent already reminding Jisung of years past, of late nights spent in the karaoke bars with all of their friends.

“Oh, Jisungie, Jinnie! I’m glad you could make it guys,” Chan greets them as soon as they step into the room, his smile dimpled and wide. He literally radiates sunshine, something that Jisung knows is a product of having Felix as his mate for over three years now.

They go to hug him one by one, all sharing smiles and feeling happy after not seeing their friend for so long. Chan asks about how they have been, and Hyunjin does most of the talking as Jisung looks around, beginning to feel little sparks of happiness spreading inside his chest.

He sees the reminders of Eunji everywhere—there is the baby’s feeding chair standing in the corner, plushies lying on the counter next to plastic bottles and various pacifiers. There are colourful magnets on the fridge, holding up family pictures and post-it notes.

Jisung feels himself smile as he shifts his attention back to the conversation. Chan is now reaching for the fridge, pulling out two beers.

“Jisungie, do you want one?”

He shakes his head. “Do you have anything sweet, hyung?”

Chan raises his pointer finger and dives back into the fridge. He pulls out an orange soda and hands it to Jisung, knocking onto his forehead as if he is now remembering that Jisung always favours sweet drinks before alcohol.

Hyunjin grabs the beer as Chan tells them to go find Felix and Eunji in the back garden, have something to eat from the grill as well. Jisung leaves the gift in the kitchen for Chan to open with his family later, then takes his drink and follows after Hyunjin, weaving their way through the house. The sliding doors are open, the billowing breeze carrying inside the delicious smell of grilled food.

Jisung is stepping over the threshold when he suddenly stops in his tracks, his view obscured by Hyunjin’s tall figure.

“Move along, Jin,” he tells him, stepping aside.

“Jisung, maybe we should…”

But Jisung doesn’t register the rest of his sentence. His eyes immediately fall onto Felix, the omega catching his attention with the crown of his blonde hair. He is smiling at Eunji, who is being rocked in the arms of another, taller man, her happy squeals pulling at Jisung’s heartstrings. It’s what happens right after that makes him stop dead in his tracks.

The man tilts his head to the side to smile at the baby in his arms. The soft brown eyes, his fuller upper lip.

Minho.

Fuck.

Oh, fuck, shit, fuck, it’s Minho.

“Jisungie?” He faintly hears Hyunjin’s voice coming from his right.

It’s right in that moment that Felix lifts his head up and sees them standing by the door, and foils any chance at escape that Jisung might have attempted.

What the fuck is Minho doing here?

“Hyunjinnie, Jisungie!” Their friend calls after them as he waves his hand.

Minho follows Felix’s movement, turning around.

Jisung’s heart drops down to his stomach. His legs freeze to the spot. He nearly drops the orange soda to the ground.

When their gazes meet, Jisung feels the same wave of anxiety from that night crash into his body like a tsunami. Minho’s cheeks are red from smiling at the baby in his arms, but his expression falls the second he registers who is Felix calling after. It’s the only change in his demeanour that Jisung notices, otherwise the alpha stays still, face unreadable.

It breaks Jisung’s heart to look at him and not be greeted with that bunny-teeth smile, those brown eyes full of warmth that are looking at him with… nothing.

He only moves because Hyunjin presses a hand to the small of his back and slightly pushes. For Felix’s sake, he plasters on the biggest smile he can muster and pointedly looks anywhere else but Minho’s face.

“I’m so happy to see you two! It’s been ages,” Felix pulls them into a tight hug, not unlike Chan did several minutes ago in the kitchen. “Guys, meet Minho-hyung and Eunji,” the omega says as he caresses the baby’s chubby cheek, “my cousin and my daughter.”

Oh, so that’s how Minho and Felix know each other, Jisung thinks.

Well, what a catastrophic coincidence.

Thankfully, Hyunjin takes it upon himself to explain.

“Us and Minho actually know each other from work,” he says as he bows his head to the elder, Jisung following suit, eyes averted to the ground.

He hears Minho clear his throat, bowing his head, too. To Felix, he says, “I forgot to tell you that we work at the same branch of the company.”

Eunji suddenly starts fussing when she feels that Minho’s attention has moved from her to the newcomers. He begins to rock her gently again, making silly faces with his eyes and tongue. Jisung can’t help but watch the pup make grabby hands at Minho’s nose with so much interest.

“You can say hi, Sungie,” Felix tells him when he sees Jisung craning his neck so he could see into Minho’s arms better.

His cheeks flush red when Minho turns to him halfway, eyes still locked onto the baby. His heart melts when he sees Eunji’s cute face, her big cheeks and even bigger eyes making him pursing his lips and coo.

She notices his presence and stops reaching for Minho, instead looking curiously back at him. Jisung puffs his cheeks like a squirrel, making the baby smile wide, her tiny hands waving in the air with excitement. She is just so adorable that Jisung thinks he is going to die from a cuteness attack.

It’s Minho’s whispered words that pull him back from his thoughts.

“You can take her if you want.”

The alpha still doesn’t look at his face, but when he leans closer and their hands touch as Jisung takes Eunji into his arms, he catches the smallest whiff of driftwood and ocean air, recognizing that Minho is intentionally supressing his scent. No alpha nor omega can be entirely successful at it, but some can master the skill to the extent that their scents are nearly untraceable.

However, Jisung has stood close to the ocean too many times to not recognize the deep blue, the waves that washed his heart away.

He hears snippets of Hyunjin and Felix’s conversation as he rocks Eunji in his arms, the baby wide eyed and happy. He knows that Minho is watching them with attentive eyes, feels the weight of his gaze on his skin.

Jisung tries so hard not to cry when he pictures a different situation that might have happened to another Jisung, in another universe where everything worked out. The baby reaches out for his cheek, and he holds back the tears that want so desperately to fall.

“She is magical,” he whispers instead, interrupting the flow of Hyunjin and Felix’s chatter.

When Jisung lifts his head, he finds that Minho is no longer standing next to him. He looks around, but the alpha is nowhere to be seen, either. Jisung doesn’t let his disappointment show on his face, but his heart starts aching in a way he thought only happened at night, when he couldn’t keep the sobs inside his lungs.

“Thank you so much, Jisungie. She is our little bundle of love,” Felix gushes over his daughter, already the proudest parent Jisung knew he would be.

Hyunjin gets to hold the baby, too, and successfully survives Eunji’s attack at the sunglasses perched atop his head. She makes everyone laugh, the noise catching Chan’s attention as he joins them with a huge smile splitting his dimpled face. Jisung can’t help but look at the content couple and their pup, feeling genuinely happy for his friends.

Eunji gets sleepy after a few more minutes of meeting all the new people, and begins fussing in Chan’s arms. The alpha excuses himself and his baby, placing a kiss to Felix’s cheek as he takes her up to their bedroom to let the baby have her afternoon nap.

Felix watches after them longingly, sighing with pure happiness. Jisung feels the soft coconut tones laced with chocolate waft through the air, his omega relaxing at his friend’s comforting scent.

Then, the other turns to him, looping one of his arms around his waist to bring him closer.

“God, I missed my sunshine twin so much! Tell me, Sungie, how have you been?”

Jisung chuckles when he hears the old nickname fall from Felix’s lips. Sunshine twins bring him back to their college days, when their friends started calling them that because of how often they stuck together, all smiley. Felix has always been one of his closest friends, and he did miss him so much, too.

He tries to put on a genuine smile as he tells Felix about his ordinary day-to-day life, pulling Hyunjin into the conversation when he tells him about the vacation they have been planning. They both managed to get two weeks of at the start of July, so why not take advantage of it?

“And what about your love life? Is there any alpha in the picture? Or an omega?”  

To darken his mood further, he is exposed by his own scent when he feels the smell of oranges have turned sour. He notices Felix flinch at the sudden change, his eyes wide and alarmed. Meanwhile, Hyunjin quietly excuses himself from the conversation, waving at someone familiar standing by the door.

“Oh, no, what happened, honey?”

Jisung decides to tell at least half of the truth. It seems like the best possible choice if he doesn’t want to scare his friend and possibly ruin their friendship over the stupid plan that he regrets now.  

“There was an alpha in my life for a while, but… It ended a few weeks ago.”

“Did hurt you?” Felix asks, his expression worried.

“No, no—nothing like that, Lix. It just didn’t work out between us, that’s all.”

“I’m so sorry to hear that, Jisungie. You must have cared a lot.”

Felix rests his head on top of Jisung’s shoulder, just like he did back when they were teenagers. His friend has always liked skinship the most in their friend group, and Jisung has always liked to receive more than to give. It was a perfect combination.

“You know,” the omega lifts his head up, looking deep in thought. “Before you and Jin came, Minho-hyung was just telling me about something similar. He was very brief with it, but maybe you two could hit it off, if you know what I mean?”

Jisung freezes, choking on his words.

“I-I would rather not, Lix. My, um, my head is still somewhere else.”

“But your body is still here, right?” The little devil has the nerve to smirk, flutter his eyelashes at him, too.

Jisung manages to laugh it off and smoothly changes the topic back to his daughter. The other omega gushes some more, tells him all about Chan and what an amazing partner and parent he is, always knows exactly what Felix and Eunji need. He tells him about the change in their bond after he gave birth, how it strengthened their communication and emotional empathy.

Eventually, Jisung excuses himself, too, feeling his head starting to hurt. The direct sunlight in combination with the loud noise of everyone’s melding conversations makes him seek shelter back inside the house, and pray that he doesn’t run into the only person that he doesn’t want to see.

After he scours the first floor and finds an empty bathroom, he locks himself inside for a much-needed break. Sitting on the toilet lid, he puts his head between his legs and breathes deeply, in and out, in and out. He really can’t afford to have a panic attack at his friends’ baby shower.

Rubbing his eyes with hist palms, Jisung feels few tears roll down his cheeks. He sniffles, wipes his nose with the sleeve of his sweater. Some of the salt gets onto his tongue and he nearly chokes from being reminded of Minho.

“You can do this,” Jisung tells himself as he stands in front of the bathroom mirror. “You are here for Felix and Chan, that’s all that matters right now.”

He splashes cold water onto his flushed cheeks before he makes his way out of the bathroom. Jisung weaves his path between the rest of the couple’s friends and family, some people also seeking refuge from the sun inside the house. He directs his steps towards the kitchen, hoping that more sweet soda is going to help him quiet his headache.

Opening the fridge and finding his salvage in the form of a grape juice, Jisung takes the bottle out and nearly lets the door slam shut with surprise when he realizes that someone else has walked up to the counter. The man is watching him intently, his lean body propped onto the cabinets.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you,” the man says and smiles, showing his teeth. “I’m Hongjoong.”

Jisung takes a step back and slightly bows, recognizing his alpha’s scent from the way grounded coffee beans and squeezed lemons attack his senses. He looks at him with curious eyes, clearly waiting for Jisung to introduce himself, too.

“Oh, no worries. I’m Jisung,” he says, trying to remember if he has ever heard of the alpha before from his friends. “Did you also want something to drink?”

Jisung flicks his eyes to the fridge but Hongjoong’s grin only widens.

“No, nothing like that. I just wanted to say that irises are my favourite flower.”

Jisung’s mouth falls open, because being flirted with is the last thing he would expect to happen to him during Eunji’s baby shower. He is left speechless, to say the least.

“Ehm,” he begins intelligently, not knowing what to answer.

“They suit you well, Jisung,” Hongjoong continues, unperturbed. “They are also soft and beautiful. Just like you.”

His heart starts beating faster when he the alpha takes a step forward. Their proximity could still be considered decent, but something tells Jisung that Hongjoong doesn’t want it to stay that way for long.

“I-I don’t—,” but he doesn’t finish his answer as he takes another tentative step backwards, and gasps as a strong hand loops around his waist from the back.

The growling he hears next makes the blood in his veins go icy cold.

His body freezes at the throaty sound, his skin shivers. It’s only after he registers the driftwood enveloping his senses and the alert look in Hongjoong’s eyes, does he manage to take a deep breath and realize who is standing behind him.

When he tilts his head to the side, Minho is baring his teeth at the other alpha, his eyes dark like the ocean before a thunder strike.

At first, it looks like Hongjoong won’t let himself be intimidated by Minho’s hostility. He defiantly looks Minho straight into his eyes, assessing his dominance. Jisung absent-mindedly presses himself into Minho’s back when the bitter smell of coffee fills his sinuses and manages to worsen his headache further.

In a one, swift movement Minho is standing in front of him, shielding him from the other alpha’s eyes. The words that come out of his mouth next resemble low, threatening growls more than anything else.

“Touch him and you’ll see what happens.”

Hongjoong doesn’t let Minho’s tone scare him. He chooses a different tactic.

“From what I can see, it looks like he doesn’t want you to touch him, either.”

The ocean air gains the taste of petrichor, a storm brewing inside Minho’s chest. The alpha straightens his posture, appearing more menacing. He reaches his hand to find Jisung’s own from behind, and despite the concoction of confusion, fear and anger that makes his stomach churn, Jisung grabs it and holds on for dear life.

“I would suggest it would be best for you to go home,” Minho snarls at the alpha.

The heavy scents that filled up the kitchen space have managed to spread into the rest of the house, attracting the attention of the people that chose to stay inside. The conversations have gone quiet, curious eyes peeking at them from the hallway. Jisung stands frozen, not daring to step between the two very pissed off alphas.

It’s deadly quiet for a few moments before Hongjoong relents, stepping away from Minho and out of his reach. But before he can turn around and leave, his eyes find Jisung’s.

“You’ll be alright, flower?”

Jisung nods quickly, wanting nothing more than for this to be over. He feels the vibration from Minho’s growls go straight through his body, the alpha furious beyond sense. Hongjoong shoots one last mocking look to Minho before he exits the kitchen, taking the scent of bitter lemons with him.

Jisung takes a deep breath after what feels like hours without oxygen. His head is raging, his stomach turning inside and out. When he feels the tight atmosphere dissolve, there is nothing preventing him from feeling all his sadness and anger that Minho has caused him in the previous weeks to finally bubble up to the surface.

He rips his hand from Minho’s hold, the alpha looking distressed and pained. Jisung couldn’t care less right this moment.

“What the fuck was that, Minho?”

Jisung demands an answer, but eventually gets even more pissed when Minho looks at him with pity while he circles his fingers around his wrist.

“You think that you can just waltz up in here and make a scene like that? After you’ve been avoiding me for two weeks? What the hell are you doing?!”

Jisung outright yells at him when the alpha starts dragging him through the house, his grip tight. Everyone looks at them with an alarmed expression, but Jisung knows that no one would dare to cross paths with the alpha that reeks of bloodthirst. It’s not anger anymore, or at least, not all of it. It feels more like… protection?

Minho drags him through the main door and into the front yard. Jisung is still trying to wriggle out of his grasp, but he is too strong and set on getting him out of the house. He resorts to digging his heels into the gravel and stubbornly refuses to move, the screeching sound making Minho halt in his tracks.

When Minho turns around and sees his beyond pissed expression, he sighs out his name, his tone so different than from just few minutes ago.

“Jisungie…”

“No, fuck you,” Jisung says, refusing to buckle under the weight of his gaze. “Where do you think you are dragging me?”

He sees the battle behind Minho’s eyes before he decides to relent.

“I have to get you home.”

“The hell you don’t,” Jisung spats, baring his teeth.

“You are going into heat, Sung.”

Jisung forgets what he wanted to say next, all thoughts gone from his head. He is sure Minho is making up excuses, because he can’t be in pre-heat right now. That wouldn’t make any sense, unless…

“I’m not.”

Minho tilts his head to the side, his tone gentle like if he was speaking to a frightened little kid.

“I could smell it on you the moment I stepped through the house. It’s faint but… but I know it for sure. Are you feeling alright?”

No, Jisung doesn’t feel alright. His head is killing him, the cartwheels his stomach is doing is making him want to vomit…

Oh, shit.

He totally forgot about the heat that was supposed to start a week ago. The one he wanted to ask Minho to spend with him that night before he ghosted him.

“Fine,” he says resolutely, “but I can get home on my own. I certainly don’t need you to do that.”

Minho winces at first, but his grip on his wrist doesn’t loosen.

“If you want to ride the train, it could be too late by the time you get home. Let me drive you.”

“No.”

“Jisung.” For the first time, Jisung hears his name come out of his lips as a warning meant for him. In his alpha’s dominant tone. “I’ll drive you.”

He submits to Minho, albeit begrudgingly. Jisung follows him to his car but pries his hand out of his grip, eyes averted to the ground. Minho unlocks his sedan, opens the passenger’s door for him to step inside.

He remembers to pull out his phone and leave Hyunjin a message, apologizing for leaving him at the party. He doesn’t say anything about his pre-heat state or Minho, but he figures that his friend is going to find out anyway because of the scene in the kitchen. He locks his phone and returns it into his back pocket.

It’s in that moment when Minho starts up the car that his stomach starts cramping like crazy, making him curl into a ball, chin pressed to his chest.

“Jisungie, are you alright?” He hears the frantic tone in Minho’s voice.

Managing a curt nod, he tells him, “Just drive fast.”

༻❁༺

It takes half an hour to arrive into the city, and another fifteen minutes to get through the traffic to Jisung’s apartment.

By the time Jisung can see the familiar parking lot from the car’s window, he is writhing in pain, his skin burning under his clothes. Next to him, Minho has been deadly silent since they left the driveway of Chan and Felix’s house.

He registers that the car has stopped when he hears the driver’s door slam shut. Then, he takes in a breath of fresh air when the door on his side opens, revealing Minho and his pained expression. Jisung tries to straighten his posture and get out of the passenger seat, but his legs have turned into jelly, his body unwilling to listen to him.

“Hold up, let me help you, baby,” Minho whispers as he slides his hands under his thighs and his back, lifting him up with incredible strength.

Jisung tries to protest, wants to shove the baby back into his throat, but it feels like if he tries to open his mouth, he is only going to puke his insides out all over the alpha. Which, even though Jisung is still mad at him, wouldn’t be a nice way to say thank you for driving him back home in this condition.

He knows that Minho is restraining himself, breathing through his mouth so he doesn’t get drunk on the intense scene his omega is releasing to attract his alpha.  

Minho grunts as he hoists him up into his arms, kicking the door of the car shut. Jisung doesn’t remember much from the elevator ride up to his apartment, except that somewhere along their drive, it must have started raining. Droplets fall down from Minho’s hair to his face, and that’s when he notices that Minho’s jaw is set, teeth gritted.

“Min…,” he whispers, keeping his eyes barely open.

He knows that the alpha must have heard him because he visibly flinches, but he stays adamant on not looking down at him, eyes drilling into the sliding doors of the elevator.

Minho opens the door to his apartment after he patiently waits for Jisung to put in his entry code. He carries him all the way to his bedroom, lays him down gently on the sheets. Jisung is trashing with pain, already feels slick damping his underwear and his thighs. Minho lets out a sharp growl when he catches his scent, but he still doesn’t move until he makes sure that Jisung is safe.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay now, it’s going to be okay. Tell me where do you keep your meds.”

Jisung’s heat-addled brain makes him remember the fertility pills and boosters in his medicine cabinets, the trick they helped him play on Minho. He feels tears spill from his eyes as he watches Minho’s expression soften. God, he is so pissed, in excruciating pain and so, so in love.

“Don’t cry, sweetheart. I’m going to get you everything you need, just tell me.”

But even despite his blurred vision, he can see the battle behind Minho’s eyes. He knows that his scent is making his alpha go crazy with the need to be there for the omega, to make sure that he gets him pregnant with his pup. Jisung sees it in the way Minho has his hand fisted in the sheets, knuckles white.

“Go away, Minho,” Jisung manages to get out between sniffles and cries, the fever burning him up from within. “Y-You can’t be here.”

Minho kneels down beside his bed, his eyes glassy. “Let me get you what you need and then I’ll go, I promise.”

But Jisung can’t take it any longer. He knows that if Minho stays even a minute more, his omega is going to take over and demand the alpha’s help. Minho won’t be able to resist anymore, even though he might try as much as he wants to.

The Jisung from two weeks ago would have let Minho stay without hesitation. He would let himself be pampered while Minho fucked him full, unaware that Jisung isn’t on birth control. That he never took the morning after pill, and that their hook-ups have always been just a part of his very stupid plan of getting pregnant without a mate.

But Jisung doesn’t want to lie to Minho anymore, even though it might mean that he is going to break him beyond repair. He deserves to know the truth, no matter how much it’s going to hurt.

“Min, I-I,” Jisung cries from the pain, knowing that it ends here. “I’m so sorry, I never thought that I-I would…”

“What are you talking about, baby?”

When Jisung manages to open his eyes and find Minho’s, they are filled with worry, glistening with unshed tears.

“I…I lied to you. I-I wasn’t on birth control w-when we were sleeping together.”

Minho tilts his head and reaches his hand out to touch his burning cheek. The gesture is so gentle—a perfect goodbye Jisung does not deserve.

“I know, Jisung-ah. I know.”

The pain intensifies, sweat trickles down his forehead. Jisung doesn’t know anything, only stares at Minho with wide eyes as the pain spreads through his whole body, beginning and ending in his heart.

“Now, tell me where you keep your meds, Jisungie. Is it the bathroom? Please, tell me so I can help you.”

Jisung nods wordlessly, sighing out, “Upper c-cabinet.”

The warmth of Minho’s skin on his disappears, and Jisung thinks that this must be it. That he only dreamed Minho up in his feverish state, that there is no one coming to help him. He tries to prop himself onto his elbows, but he doesn’t have any strength left in his muscles.

Jisung thinks he passes out right after that. His body falls down onto the mattress, shivering and drenched in sweat and slick. He almost doesn’t register the gentle hands opening his mouth and making him flush down the two pills on his tongue, and has only a vague memory of feeling ocean air calming him down, making his body settle into the sheets.

The heat becomes unbearable. The pain in his stomach subsides after a while, but he knows that the next wave is going to come soon. His sheets rub against his naked skin, making him wriggle on the bed, so uncomfortable that he wants to claw his way out.

Jisung shoots up into a sitting position with a cry, breath laboured and throat sore. He registers a commotion coming from the hallway, and when he tries to croak out Minho’s name, the alpha comes rushing back into the bedroom, his hair ruffled and eyes overflowing with worry.

Minho’s eyes search his face. He is standing there only in his boxers and what looks like Jisung’s crinkled t-shirt. When Jisung wraps his hands around his middle, he discovers that he is naked, his lower half covered only by his blanket.

“I…I had to get you out of your clothes, they were soaked through,” Minho starts explaining when he sees Jisung’s surprised expression. Then, “Mine got dirty in the process.”

Jisung feels his cheeks warm up at the sight of Minho standing at the foot of his bed, looking unsure of what he is supposed to do.

“How long was I out?”

“A few hours.” Minho averts his eyes when Jisung moves and his blanket rides down. “Do you feel better?”

Jisung nods, opening his mouth but he doesn’t get a chance to say what’s on his mind.

“I’ll grab water and something to eat.”

Minho darts out of the room, leaving Jisung to sit on his bed, memories slowly coming back to him. He remembers being so angry and sad, then feeling Minho’s gentle hands on his back, his face as Jisung told him about…

Fuck.

Wait. Wait, wait, wait.

Jisung rubs his eyes and rakes his hands through his hair as he recalls what happened next.

Did Minho say he already know? But how?

The alpha comes back with a water bottle and a handful of nutbars. He places them next to Jisung onto the nightstand and backs several steps away. Jisung realizes he still feels wet where he is sitting, slick clinging to his thighs—the reason for Minho’s cautiousness.

He takes the bottle and the bar into his hands, but he doesn’t drink nor eat. His stomach churns, but he knows that there is something he needs to say first.

“Hyung,” he begins, voice quivering. “I—”

“Drink up,” Minho interrupts him. “You’ll need the energy.”

So Jisung does as he is told, swallowing his words down his parched throat with a big gulp of water. He rips the plastic wrap of the bar, taking a chunk into his mouth. It’s silent, his chewing the only sound echoing through the room.

Then, after he has gone through one nutbar and is munching on the second now, Minho crosses his hands over his chest and leans against the wall, still a safe distance from Jisung and his heightened scent.

“How long do you think before the next wave hits?”

Jisung thinks, assessing the growing pain in his groins. “Twenty minutes tops.”

Minho nods, clearing his throat. His eyes flick between Jisung and the floor, his scent still controlled.

The fear in Jisung’s gut doesn’t help the pain. Not being able to guess Minho’s mood makes him jittery and anxious.

“I think that I should start by saying sorry.”

Jisung swallows the last bite of his bar and almost chokes, definitely not expecting himself to be the one to hear an apology.

“I should have told you that I found the pregnancy test in the trash bin. At first, I thought that you were just trying to make sure that the pill was working, but then I saw the packaging of the fertility vitamins, and I… honestly, I wouldn’t recognize what they were if I hadn’t seen them at Chan and Felix’s house when they were trying for a baby.”

Minho sighs deeply and continues, his voice even. There isn’t even a trace of anger, just… terrifying calmness.

“So, I made the connection between what I saw in the trash and your unhappy state that night, and then I figured it out.”

“I’m sorry, Minho, I’m really sorry.”

The alpha finds his eyes, but they are still unreadable.

“It was too much for me that night, that’s why I shut down. That’s why I wanted to say sorry. I left you in the dark, and I should have told you about it that night.”

Now that Minho has said why he is sorry, Jisung thinks that the blow is inevitable. He prepares for yelling, for painful words and hateful eyes. But instead, Minho blows his mind in another way.

“I didn’t know what your exact plan was, but I don’t think that you wanted to hurt me or trap me into a relationship, Jisung. I don’t think you could hide your ill intentions from me. Alphas can sniff out these things quite easily.”

Minho looks down at his socked feet, his demeanour so different from the alpha that almost bit someone’s head off for trying to get close to Jisung.

“I couldn’t hear you out two weeks ago because I needed to figure out what I felt for you first.”

Jisung’s lips part, his eyes start to water.

“I really thought that we were just having a good fun, but then I started feeling excited to go to work, knowing that I’d have lunch with you that day. I wanted to see you at every corner I turned, on every street I walked. You were starting to get into my head, my unruly omega.”

One of the corners of his mouth rides up, making Jisung want to pull him into his bed and sob all of his water reserve into his t-shirt.

“I think I felt my heart getting involved long before I realized that I fell in love with you.”

Minho takes a step closer and sits on the edge of the bed, careful not to come too close or accidentally touch him.

“And the night I came over and you looked so heartbroken, I knew that I wanted to be the one to make you smile. Make you happy and content, and, most of all, mine. I was happy, because I could feel it in your scent, too.”

When Minho looks up for confirmation, Jisung nods his head, cheeks already wet from Minho’s confession. What a fool he has been all this time.

“When I saw the negative test in the trash, I just… I felt dismayed. I have to admit that I started hoping that the anticonception wouldn’t work—that the two-percent risk would be our case. And to do that, I might have… bought some Maca vitamins after we started sleeping together regularly.”

Jisung feels a wave of shock flowing through his body, blinking unbelievably at the alpha.

“I wanted to say it first before you started apologizing, because I wasn’t much better than you, Jisung. If anything, we were both just as bad and stupid.”

Something heavy falls from Jisung’s chest right then and there. But to feel completely free, he has to tell him his part of the story.

“I never did mean any harm to you, hyung,” he whispers, his voice still sounding raspy. “I-I just… At first, I started sleeping with you because I haven’t been in a relationship for so long, and started to feel like it’s time for my own family. To have my own pup. I never wanted to baby trap you or anything, I swear.”

Minho nods, listening intently with his head tilted to the side.

“But I started to feel it, too. The shift between us, and after you left that night, it made me realize that I didn’t want just my own baby anymore. I wanted you, to have my little family with you.”

Jisung knows that Minho won’t close the distance that separates them—he won’t get close to Jisung in this state until the omega tells him to. That’s why he moves to crawl onto his fours and let the blanket reveal him completely. He plasters himself to Minho’s side, the alpha taking long, deep breaths in and out, eyes tightly shut.

“I love you too, Minho. I’m sorry for everything.”

Jisung sneaks his hands under Minho’s chin, bringing his face so he can truly look at him. His soft brown eyes are full of warmth, little strands of hair falling into his face. He is so beautiful that Jisung has to prove to himself that this is real life, and not just a heat-induced fantasy.

“Kiss me, alpha,” he whispers against his lips, the tips of their noses touching.

Minho chuckles, the sound of his laughter making Jisung’s stomach stir with want, with desire.

Minho connects their lips slowly, his fuller one slotting against Jisung’s lower. It’s the perfect combination, like the sensation of puzzle pieces falling together. Jisung swallows his breath, cursing his past self for denying himself the softness of Minho’s lips for so long.

And yes, the love pouring from Minho’s touch is definitely real.

“I love you, Jisungie,” Minho whispers when they part. “And I want nothing more than to start our own little family.”

Jisung opens his eyes, new batch of tears spilling out. “Yeah?”

Minho looks seconds away from crying, too. “Yeah.”

That’s all it takes for him to grab the front of Minho’s shirt and pull him on top, his own back hitting the mattress. Minho straddles his naked lap, his lips already chasing Jisung’s. The alpha doesn’t hesitate to lick into his mouth, and it feels like he is finally coming home, back to the shore where salt clings to his skin everywhere he goes.

Jisung dives into the ocean as he lets Minho take over, his hands caressing his sides, his cock already standing hard and aching. Minho groans into his mouth when slick dribbles out of his hole and onto the sheets, the second wave of his heat already knocking on the door.

“Are you sure you want this, baby? If we continue,” Minho pulls away to find his eyes, looking half gone already, “I-I don’t know if I will be able to control it.”

Jisung grins up at him, slides one of his hands to where Minho is bulging through his boxers. He presses against the fabric, watching Minho bite into his lower lip with a choked groan.

“I don’t want you to control it,” he whispers, already feeling that blunt pain in his stomach.

“Jisungie…”

“Trust me, hyung.”

Jisung pulls him in for another kiss as he slips his hand into his underwear. He circles his fingers around the base and pulls Minho out, stroking him lazily. He pictures Minho knotting him for the first time and moans into his mouth, spurring Minho on.

“I trust you.”

No more words are needed after that. Minho makes sure he is kissed thoroughly before he slides down, sucking marks into his skin as he makes space for himself between his thighs. Jisung can feel his slick permeating the air around them, knows that Minho is barely holding onto the last strands of his sanity with his pupils completely blown.

Hooking his hands under his ass, Minho moves his body down the bed. He grabs him by his thighs, spreading him wider for his taking. Jisung mewls as Minho teases him by licking the head of his small cock, taking all of his length into his mouth at once.

He trashes onto the bed, his hole gaping but still empty.  

“Hyung, inside. Want y-you inside…”

Minho swallows around him, lips stretching into a wide smile. His eyes are full of mischief and love as he licks one final stripe down his shaft before he moves to where Jisung needs him.

“Look at you, Jisung,” he breathes against his wet hole, making Jisung want to scream with anticipation. “So desperate for alpha’s cock.”

Minho licks over his entrance, flattens his tongue against it. He is still holding Jisung’s gaze as he does so, his tight grip on his thighs also remains strong. It’s one of the hottest things Jisung has ever seen him do—pleasing him like this, swallowing his slick without batting an eye.

Minho continues to eat him out like this, his tongue sliding in and out without resistance. Jisung already feels the dilation, his birth canal widening so that he can take the alpha’s cock without preparation while his heat minimizes the pain. He is preparing for the knot.

“Minho, pl-please,” his voice breaks on the next thrust.

He feels three fingers prodding at his hole, and on the next inhale, Minho slowly slips the first two inside, his tongue joining them. The muscles in his stomach clench as he feels his approaching orgasm.

Jisung reaches out and grabs his leg to keep himself spread. Minho’s touch sends him to the gates of heaven when he reaches his sweet spot and makes him come not even few seconds after.

“Ah, ah, ah, Minho, ah!”

Minho keeps pumping his fingers in and out as he watches Jisung spurt cum over his stomach. “That’s it, baby. Come for your alpha.”

“Mine,” Jisung echoes as he clenches around Minho’s digits, not wanting him to pull out.

Minho continues to massage his prostate even after he has come, littering kisses all over his thighs, leaving little bites there, too. There is slick coating his lips, some still dripping down from his chin.

Jisung makes grabby hands when he comes back to himself, wanting Minho close. The alpha gently pulls out and moves to cage Jisung between his arms, towering over him with a lazy grin.

Jisung doesn’t waste a second and props himself onto his shoulders, kissing his slick right from Minho’s lips. Salty oranges coat his tongue as he swallows, so eager to taste even more.

His stomach cramps in that exact moment, making him whimper into Minho’s mouth with pain. The alpha pulls away with concern on his face, eyes slipping down to his belly. He places a soft kiss right below his navel, making Jisung melt.

Then, Minho lifts his head and presses his nose to Jisung’s. He is grinning when he says, “Let’s make a baby.”

Jisung mirrors his giddy face, capturing his lips between his. “Let’s make a baby, hyung.”

It’s the last moment of clarity they get before the second wave of Jisung’s heat hits full force. It’s like something switches off in his brain, and suddenly he is ripping Minho’s clothes from his body, his omega frantic with the state of his poor nest. He arranges Minho’s and his own clothes all around them into neat piles, even gets up and pulls the clothes he stole from the alpha several weeks ago from his drawers.

Minho watches him attentively the whole time, encouraging him when Jisung becomes agitated that he doesn’t have enough of the alpha’s clothes in his apartment. He feels Minho slowly dragging him back into his embrace, his alpha releasing calming pheromones that do wonders for his heat-muddled brain.

Jisung kisses him like there is no tomorrow. His breathing is laboured as he refuses to part from his alpha even as he starts turning around to present himself. Getting up on all fours, Jisung lets go of him so Minho can see his desire for himself.

He arches his back as Minho situates himself behind him, one hand caressing his cheek, pulling it apart to reveal his entrance. Jisung preens when he feels the alpha’s tongue again, licking the slick right from his hole. He is so hard that he thinks he is going to come just from being pampered this way.

“You taste perfect, Jisung. The only one I’ll ever want,” Minho sighs, then moves up and presses his weeping cock against his rim.

Jisung whines, wants to push back and finally feel Minho inside him, but the alpha winds an arm around his waist, keeping him in place.

“You’ll take what alpha gives you, understand?”

Jisung nods, his cheek smushed into the pillow. “Please, alpha. I’ll be good, I promise.”

That’s when Minho lays his chest onto his back, letting him feel the weight of his cock pressed to his hole. Jisung whimpers when he feels Minho’s hot breath on his ear, hole clenching around nothing yet.

Minho licks his scent gland as he slips the head inside, starts sucking a mark over the spot as he flushes himself to Jisung completely. Jisung barely manages to stay propped onto his forearms, feeling every shift of Minho’s weight inside him as he starts moving.

He comes for the second time after the first full thrust.

His cock spurts cum all over the bedsheets, Minho fucking him through it mercilessly. Jisung is crying as he starts getting hard again, not even a minute after his second orgasm.

The alpha growls into his ear when he notices the wet patch that has formed under him.

“Good boy, Jisung. That’s my perfect omega.”

“Alpha, alpha,” Jisung whines in answer as Minho’s cock drills into him from the back. “Want your knot, ah, ah.”

Wet squelches echo through the room as Minho slows down, pulling his cock all the way out, then driving back in with torturously slow speed. Jisung feels everything—the wetness around his hole, Minho’s weight pushing inside, the head of his cock reaching to brush against his sweet spot on these deep thrusts.

“Do you think you can take my knot, sweetheart? Or do I have to make you?”

Jisung tilts his head when he finds his strength, wanting to see the fucked-out haze in Minho’s eyes.

“M-Make me, ah, please.”

Minho crushes their lips together before he pulls away, gripping Jisung by his hips. He positions him as he wants, with Jisung now kneeling on the sheets with the cock still buried deep inside him. One of Minho’s hands is holding him in place by his belly while the other fists itself into his hair.

Jisung props himself on one hand on his thigh while he intertwines his fingers with Minho’s on his stomach. He clenches around him, desperate for him to move.

The first thrust is unexpected, making Jisung choke on his moans. Minho plows his cock into him as he holds him tight by his hair, making Jisung tilt his head back and arch his back. He is rendered speechless, sounding like a broken record with the string of ah, ah, ah that he is able to get out.

Minho grunts behind him, praises Jisung on especially hard thrusts. The pain in his guts subsides the more Minho fucks him, the longer he feels his cock moulding his body to make space for his knot.

Minho flushes against him as he pulls him by his hair, pressing their intertwined hands on Jisung’s stomach. Sheathed inside, Minho whispers dirt right into his ear, making Jisung’s cock pulsate, slick dribbling out of his tip.

“Can you feel me here, Jisungie? This little bump on your belly?”

Jisung nods as he tilts his head to look at Minho, totally blissed-out.

“This is where I’m going to fuck my pup into you. Breed you like the good omega that you are.”

He comes with a cry of Minho’s name falling from his lips, his third time coming untouched. Jisung feels Minho looking down to his lap over his shoulder, the alpha praising him as his cum lands onto their joined hands. Jisung’s body goes limp against his chest, breathing heavily into the side of Minho’s neck.

Minho nuzzles his nose into his hair as he lets him catch his breath. Jisung feels the cock inside him pulsate with the need for release, knowing that Minho is trying to stave off his orgasm for as long as he can.

“Min,” Jisung sighs out, one hand reaching out to caress his face.

Minho reads his expression, placing a kiss on every knuckle. He gently eases his cock from Jisung’s hole, helps him lie down onto the dirty mattress. Jisung can’t care about the slick sticking to his back right now, not when Minho is hovering above him, helping him bend his knees and spread his legs.

“I’m here, love,” the alpha whispers as their gazes meet, as he guides himself back inside.

Jisung wraps his legs around the small of Minho’s back, his arms looping around his nape to keep him close. Their foreheads are pressed as Minho begins sliding in and out, his eyes focused solely on Jisung’s face.

They try to kiss but it’s too sloppy and uncoordinated. The force of Minho’s movements pushes Jisung’s body up and down the bed, his breath catching in his throat when he feels the unmistakable swell of Minho’s forming knot.

“Alpha,” he breathes into Minho’s parted mouth, “my alpha.”

Minho redoubles his efforts and flushes himself to Jisung on every push, his little cock trapped between their stomach. He digs his nails into Minho’s back, presses his nose to his scant gland and inhales. He drags his canines over the spot, too, pushing Minho over the precipice as the alpha loses his rhythm, his fully formed knot locking their bodies together.

“Jisung,” Minho comes with a cry of his name, his cock spurting cum inside.

Jisung follows suit after he feels the cock stretching his hole, revelling in the pain that comes with taking an alpha’s knot. Minho is breathing hard into the crook of his neck, his scent mixing in the air with his freshly bloomed irises as he continues to pump cum inside him.

Jisung starts littering kisses to his temple, his hands caressing his shoulders, his broad back. He keeps a tight grip on his body with his legs, even though he knows that Minho can’t pull out. His omega becomes clingy easily, especially when his alpha has taken such a good care of him.

Eventually, Minho comes to himself and begins to return Jisung’s care with his own kisses, gently looping his arms around his waist to turn them on the side. They are lying face to face now, both flushed and wide-eyed. Minho brushes the stray strands of hair from his sweaty forehead, pressing a kiss there, too.

Then, Minho captures his mouth with his lips. Their kisses are sweet and assuring, and if Jisung wasn’t fighting the sleep creeping up on him, he would kiss Minho until his lips went numb.

And even though he really tries to keep his eyes open, Minho sees right through him on his first yawn.

“Get some sleep, my love,” he whispers as he moves his hand to lay over Jisung’s stomach. “You’ll need as much rest as you can get.”

Jisung nods, but puckers his lips for one last kiss. He tucks himself under Minho’s chin, lying his own hand over where Minho’s is still resting on his skin. The last thing he remembers before he is pulled into his dreams are Minho’s eyes, the love that looks back at him deeper than the ocean.

༻❁༺

When Jisung wakes up several hours later with an unbearable pain in his stomach, Minho carries him to the bathroom and fucks him under a stream of scalding hot water. Jisung kisses him senseless as Minho drives into him, his strength keeping him pressed against the shower wall.

Minho takes care of him after he comes inside, scrubbing his skin from slick and sweat. He shampoos his hair, lets Jisung cling to him like a needy puppy. Jisung starts purring again when Minho wraps him into a big fluffy towel and tells him to go and grab something from the kitchen while he changes the bedsheets.

He joins him in the kitchen later, kissing him on the cheek on his way to the fridge. Jisung can’t believe that this is his life now—that this is how his mornings are going to look like every single day.

After Minho replenishes his energy with food, Jisung is too impatient to wait before they move to the bedroom. He drops down to his knees on the plush carpet of his living room, situates himself between Minho’s legs as the alpha watches him with reverence, eyes lidded. Jisung pulls down his briefs and comes two times while he pleasures Minho with his tongue and mouth.

He is exhausted afterwards, letting Minho pick him up from the floor and carry him into the bed. He plasters his back to Minho’s chest, enjoying a moment of cuddling before his next heat wave hits.

When Jisung wakes up later that day—or night, he really can’t tell with his perception of time all messed up—it’s not because of the pain. He feels Minho’s hard and leaking cock digging into the small of his back, the alpha writhing on the sheets next to him, completely delirious.

It’s like a wave washes over him when he inhales the thick scent in the air, his mind going haywire. Jisung’s omega responds immediately, feeling wetness between his legs and on the sheets.

He manages to roll Minho onto his back, propping himself onto his elbow as he tries to gently wake him up.

“Minho-hyung. Baby, you are burning up.”

It doesn’t help. Minho’s eyes are moving frantically behind his closed eyelids, strands of hair plastered to his forehead with sweat. Jisung recognizes the beginning of his rut when he looks down and sees that Minho is painfully hard and leaking.

He nuzzles his nose into his cheek as he pumps calming pheromones into the air. One of his hands slips down to his lap and takes his cock into his palm, slowly stroking up and down to ease his pain.

It seems to work because Minho stops trashing, his breaths get steadier the longer Jisung grants him relief. When he opens his eyes, they are glassy and unfocused.

“Jisungie…”

“I’m here,” Jisung whispers, kissing his cheek. “Use me, hyung.”

Minho pulls him into a searing kiss that leaves Jisung hungry for more, then manhandles him onto his side, facing away. He slides his cock into the cleft of his ass as he places kisses onto his neck, licks his scent gland. One of his hands grabs him by the meat of his thigh, holds it in the air so Minho can slide in without resistance.

Jisung is reduced to a babbling mess with the force of Minho’s thrusts. It’s filthy with the way Minho is groaning right into his ear, taking everything Jisung gives him. He comes for the first time when Jisung clenches around him, his teeth making an indent into his shoulder.

Minho continues to plow into him hard, and it’s not long before Jisung feels the base of his cock swell against his ass.

Flushing his chest to his back, Minho captures his lips into a kiss when he comes again, sneaking his hand down to jerk Jisung off as his knot fully forms. It’s the lazy kissing that follows which sends Jisung over the edge twice, Minho licking his fingers clean from his slick.

Minho is gently caressing his thigh, both of them basking in the afterglow as they lie locked together. Jisung is craning his neck so he can look at his alpha, seeing his own love reflected in Minho’s irises. His mind is the clearest it has ever been.

“I want you to bite me next time.”

Minho presses their foreheads together, nosing at Jisung’s cheek. “Are you sure, love?”

“Yes. I’m sure if you are.”

Jisung searches his face for any signs of uncertainty. He finds none.

Minho spreads his lips into a sweet smile, stealing kisses as his hand moves from his thigh to rest over his belly. “I’m yours. I always have been.”

Nuzzling into his scent gland, Jisung can’t stop the giggles that escape from his lips.

༻❁༺

Minho’s rut subsides alongside Jisung’s heat.

On the morning of the third day, Jisung wakes up and doesn’t feel any pain. Next to him, Minho’s face is peaceful, his chest raising and falling steadily. He plasters himself to his front, lying half on top of him.

When the alpha reluctantly blinks his eyes open, Jisung pecks his lips, all energized and ready to be mated. “It’s time, hyung.”

Minho, spreading his lips into a toothy smile, grabs Jisung by his waist and rolls him onto his back. He gives him a proper greeting as he slips his tongue inside his mouth, kissing him for several minutes before Jisung starts writhing under him impatiently.

Minho insists on them taking a shower, so Jisung jumps out of the bed and drags the alpha by his hands into the bathroom. They scrub the remnants of the night from their bodies, hands wandering and eager.

Their shower time is prolonged because of Jisung’s teasing, resulting in Minho pressing him to the wall as he falls down to his knees. He takes his time eating Jisung out, making sure that the omega is begging and pleading before he finally lets him come.

When Jisung comes to his sense afterwards, he desperately wants to return the favour, but Minho doesn’t let him.

“Wait until we get back to bed, baby.”

Jisung relents, but only because Minho bribes him with more kisses.

Back in the bedroom, Minho climbs into their nest and leans his back onto the bedframe. He reaches his hand out for Jisung, guiding him to his waiting lap. When Jisung makes himself comfortable, he gazes deep into Minho’s eyes, knowing that this is what he wants to do for the rest of his life.

Living by Minho’s side.

Minho’s hands slide down to his naked ass, pull his cheeks apart to reveal his leaking hole.

“Do you want me to go first, baby?”

Jisung nods as he feels Minho’s digits slip inside. He is still open enough to take him without having to be stretched, but he lets Minho finger him, knowing that it turns the alpha on almost more than anything.

“I do.”

Jisung reaches down between them to take Minho’s hard cock into his hand, using the precum to make the glide easier. They kiss as they both sigh in pleasure, Minho’s tongue licking inside Jisung’s mouth, taking, taking.

When Minho lines himself up with his hole, Jisung lowers his body slowly, addicted to the drag. He whimpers as Minho fills him up, stretches him so good and lets him know that he is the only one for him. Forever.

“I love you, Jisung-ah.”

Minho starts thrusting inside, eyes locked onto his. Jisung repeats those words into his mouth, so in love that he thinks he is going to die if Minho doesn’t bite him within the next minute.

“Make me yours, hyung.”

Jisung feels hot breath against his scent gland, Minho stilling inside him as he prepares for the bite. He licks the skin of his neck, places a kiss to the tender spot behind his ear.

When his teeth sink into his skin, Jisung has to dig his nails into Minho’s shoulders to keep himself steady. His senses erupt, everything around him becomes louder, more vibrant with life. He tastes iron on his tongue, but it’s soon replaced by the salt, the driftwood coming directly from his own skin.

Minho licks him clean of the blood, makes sure that the wound is going to heal faster. When he pulls back, his eyes are the pretties shade of brown Jisung has ever seen.

There is a new presence inside his body, something that he feels in the back of his mind when he reaches for it. Right now, the connection is only a one-way street as he can sense Minho’s happiness, his love and devotion, but can’t give back. Not yet.

“Wow,” Jisung exhales. “Hyung, I… I can feel you. Right here,” he gestures to somewhere above his temple.

Minho grins at him, his lips stained with blood. Jisung brings him closer by his nape, kisses him deeply before he noses at the spot where his scent glad is hiding under his skin. He licks the spot over several times, feeling Minho’s anticipation, his eagerness.

As his teeth pierce skin, he clenches around Minho’s cock, making him groan and tighten the grip on his waist. Jisung feels the connection opening on Minho’s end, feels it tickle in the back of his mind like a newly formed nerve.

He is thorough with cleaning the blood with his tongue, even as he feels Minho nosing at his ear, telling him to look at him. When Jisung pulls away, there is not a single emotion that he couldn’t read from Minho’s face.

They just stare at each other, awestruck. When Jisung’s legs start cramping from kneeling on the bed for too long, Minho moves immediately, grabbing him by his waist and quickly laying him down onto the mattress.

“Better, Jisungie?”

Jisung shakes his head, totally blown away. His expression is disbelieving but his thoughts must be clear when Minho smiles knowingly, and presses the sweetest kiss to his lips, the taste of ripe oranges growing by the sea.  

Jisung urges him to start moving again, his cock painfully hard between their bodies. Minho folds him in half and starts sliding in and out. There is no rush this time—they only focus on making love to one another for as long as their bodies let them.

Minho doesn’t knot him again, but Jisung doesn’t mind. If he isn’t already pregnant, the next time his heat comes, he will be prepared. The most important thing is that Minho will be there with him—his mate.

“Mate,” Jisung whispers between kisses as they come down from their high. “My mate.”

Minho grins at him, his cheeks flushed and lips swollen from kissing. Nuzzling his face with his nose, Jisung can’t help but smile.

His love has already taken root.

༻6 weeks later༺

Jisung sways his legs in the air as he sits on the examination desk in his doctor’s office.

The sterile environment doesn’t scare him as much as the last time he was here, asking his doctor for a refill for his fertility shots. It already seems like it happened years ago, to some other Jisung.

After the bite, a lot of things changed. Jisung began to feel things in a way that he never thought of before or never paid any special attention to. Living gained a whole new reason, now that he could see the world through his mate’s eyes.

When he reached out into the back of his mind and pulled onto the string that was tying them together, he could access Minho’s emotions, his senses. One day, when Minho had to get to work earlier than usual, Jisung reached out and felt a shiver down his spine, then his body started to shake with cold. When he looked out of the window, he found out that it had started raining, and he remembered that Minho didn’t take his umbrella with him that morning.

It was astonishing, and also something that was hard to described to unmated omegas. He tried to explain to Hyunjin the emotional comfort that their bond was providing him, but his friend only called him a lovesick fool and rolled his eyes—affectionately, of course.

It was because of their bond that he started thinking about his previous heat. Jisung was already two weeks late for his next one, and when he started to feel his alpha’s agitation, he decided it would be best to make an appointment with his doctor. Because when he asked Minho about why he was feeling restless lately, his mate couldn’t give him an explanation. He didn’t even realize that he was behaving any differently from his usual state.

When his doctor opens the door and steps in with poorly concealed smile on her face, Jisung already knows. He exhales through his nose, calm settling inside his chest.

The usual small talk follows, then the beta asks him about his bond. Jisung confirms that everything went smoothly when he mated with Minho, and that he has never felt happier and more comfortable in his life. She smiles at him and scribbles something onto his chart.

Then, she shows him his results and confirms his suspicions.

“Congratulations, Jisung.”

Jisung’s eyes begin to water when the doctor explains him what he can see on the paper. Apparently, he has been pregnant for eight weeks already.

“Eight?” He whispers to himself, doing the mental math.

The doctor looks at him, curious. “I guess it must have happened during your last heat. You said that you mated with your partner before it ended?”

Jisung nods. “Yes, but that was six weeks ago, not eight.”

And then, he remembers what happened two weeks prior his heat. The night Minho fucked him on the couch, the night that everything changed.

He has been pregnant this whole time and didn’t know it.

“Well, I guess the medication really did help you out.”

“But if I was already pregnant, how come I went into another heat?”

The doctor gives him a comforting smile. “It is not unusual for unmated omegas to go into heat after conception in the first trimester. Even though the heat primarily functions as a way to conceive, it is also the best time for mating your partner.”

Jisung chuckles disbelievingly, presses his hand to his belly.

He is prescribed with pregnancy vitamins and the doctor schedules him for his first ultrasound the next week. He takes his test results with him on his way out of her office.

On his way home, Jisung ponders about the best way of how to tell his mate. He thinks about throwing some big surprise, or taking Minho to a fancy dinner or about some other, grandiose revelation, but nothing feels perfect. It doesn’t feel like them.

When he taps into their bond, he feels Minho’s calm envelope his senses, his nose filling up with a wonderful smell of roasted chicken. Judging by Minho’s mental state, he is already back home from work, preparing their dinner.

Jisung steps into their—previously Minho’s—apartment, his skin vibrating with anticipation. He hears the sizzling of the pan, knowing that Minho didn’t hear him arrive over the noise. He takes his shoes off and places his jacket onto the rag, right next to Minho’s.

Jisung tiptoes into the kitchen as noiselessly as possible, heart in his throat. He is right in the process of moving in with his mate, cardboard boxes with his name strewn all around the place.

It’s home.

“Oh, Jisungie!” Minho leans away from the counter and gives him a huge smile, turns the heat down on the stove. “Didn’t hear you come home, my love.”

Jisung is standing there in the doorway to the kitchen, looking at the love of his life. Minho waltzes up to him to press his lips against his, then dives right back for more when Jisung wraps his hands around his neck.

“Hi, hyung,” he whispers between kisses. “I have a surprise for you.”

“Did you bring dessert?” Minho rubs his nose against his, pecking him on his cheek.

Shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly, Jisung shoots Minho a sly grin. “I’ll change and tell you over dinner.”

Minho reluctantly lets him go, needing to get back to the dinner cooking on the stove. Jisung moves into their bedroom, takes off his clothes and takes a look at himself in the mirror. He smiles as he places his palm over his lower belly.

He is pregnant. With Minho’s pup.

Jisung knows he is going to start crying the moment he shows his test results to Minho. It’s a miracle he didn’t start crying in the doctor’s office or on the bus on his way home, really.

He changes into a more comfortable wear, Minho’s t-shirt and his boxers. He takes the folded paper out of his bag and hides it behind his back as he steps out of the bedroom and through the hallway into the kitchen.

Minho is putting finishing touches onto their plates, his lips breaking into a smile when he senses Jisung standing by the door.

Jisung crosses the distance between them, plasters his chest to Minho’s back. He inhales his scent, feels his own irises bloom on his mate’s skin. Leaving a kiss over his healed bitemark, Jisung wraps both of his hands around his middle.

“Is this my surprise?” Minho leans into his touch, eyes slipping down to the paper in Jisung’s hand.

Jisung murmurs a confirmation, letting Minho take it from him. The alpha unfolds the paper and Jisung reads with him over his shoulder, chin digging into Minho’s skin.

“Jisungie, is this… are you…?”  

When Minho turns around in his embrace, Jisung’s eyes are already wet. Minho’s lips are parted, his face has the most adorable expression he has ever seen. The alpha looks at the paper again as Jisung nods, then looks back at him before his eyes slip down to his belly.

“Really?”

It’s the joyous tone that makes Jisung start full on crying. “We are having a baby.”

Minho drops the paper as he cups Jisung’s face with both of his hands, starts kissing the tears from his cheeks. It’s no use because the alpha stars crying, too, making wet chuckles fall from Jisung’s lips.

Minho presses his lips to his mouth, but the kiss is more teeth than anything. The alpha can’t stop smiling as he whispers how much he loves his mate, how happy he is feeling right now. Jisung brings him closer by his nape, takes one of his hands from his cheek and gently presses it over his lower belly.

Minho looks down when he realizes, totally awestruck. He slowly slips his hand under Jisung’s t-shirt and below the elastic band of his boxers to feel his warm skin.

“How far, Jisungie?”

At that, Jisung grins mischievously when he says, “Eight weeks.”

Minho smiles wide before he does the mental math, just like Jisung did at his doctor’s office, eyebrows shooting up when he realizes.

“That night we…”

“Yeah,” Jisung confirms. “I guess the fertility boosters weren’t for nothing after all.”

Minho chuckles as he captures his lips in a searing kiss. His hand begins to rub smoothing circles on his belly.

“What about the heat?”

“My doctor said that it happened because we weren’t mated back then. Even if I was pregnant, my omega still wanted to mate with you. It’s possible that it was the same reason for why you went into a rut.”

Minho caresses his cheek with his thumb as he presses his forehead against Jisung’s. They stand there in their kitchen, hearts synchronizing, breaths even. There are wet trails on Minho’s cheeks when he presses his mouth to Jisung, his kisses deep and thoughtful.

When Minho moves his hands to the back of his thighs and hoists him up into the air, Jisung gasps with surprise, not expecting the sudden movement.

“Hyung, what are you doing?”

Minho grins as he starts walking out of the kitchen and into the hallway. “We are skipping dinner.”

“But I’m hungry,” Jisung cries petulantly as he is being carried into the bedroom.

“Don’t worry, love. I’ll reheat the dinner after I’ve had my dessert.”

Jisung punches him into his shoulder for that awful joke, but he doesn’t really mean it. He smiles up at his alpha when Minho lays him down onto their bed—to where it all began. Butterflies take to flight inside him when Minho moves down to kiss his belly, eyes overflowing with love.

It’s the start of something beautiful.