Chapter Text
“And can you believe Riki presented as–,” Sunghoon stops, distracted by a kakaotalk notification and immediately checking it. Heeseung smiles fondly, eyes wandering around the room and stopping for a second at an omega who seems to enjoy the night. Sim Jaeyun has always looked ethereal to him, something he’s allowed to admire but not be foolish enough to taste because otherwise he will be damned.
But there’s a reason Eve gave into the temptation.
“It’s Jay–ah, sorry,” Sunghoon apologizes. Heeseung can see him blush even under the horrendous light and soft makeup he used. “He wants to see me.” There’s a slight tilt in his tone, the one where he knows Heeseung will be against it but stubborn enough to still do what he wants.
Heeseung sighs, already feeling the burden of the world on his shoulder. “Hoon–ah, you can get your heat any second now, he’s an alpha,” he tries to reason, hand reaching out to touch his bare shoulder but Sunghoon recoils, eyes hard, mouth pointed downwards.
“You’re an alpha,” he whispers and Heeseung knows it’s a lost cause but he’s still not over how stupid Sunghoon is acting over a silly crush.
He’s compromising his whole life for some random person.
Heeseung blinks, cheek tingling.
It doesn’t hurt much. It's honestly more the implication that Sunghoon actually slapped him, huffing with his hand still raised.
“Sorry for annoying you with my silly emotions, hyung.” Oh no, he’s teary, fuck. Heeseung forgets under all the facade, and especially this close to his heat, Sunghoon has a very sensible heart.
Sunghoon sends him one last look with glistening eyes before he leaves. Heeseung is aware he’s acting all stupid alpha but he can’t help himself. Sunghoon is family, Sunghoon is pack. He's always been the one protecting him until now.
Now there’s someone else.
Heeseung goes into the kitchen to cool down.
*
Sunghoon opens his eyes, a bit dazed still and feeling as if he could sleep another ten hours. There’s something wrong with his bed though, it doesn’t feel and smell like it usually does, familiar but it’s not his own scent.
Alpha, his brain supplies but not who and what happened to him? He remembers going to the party with Heeseung, the older being an idiot like usual about…Jay and he’s been rushing out to meet him but he suddenly felt so dizzy and warm, the alcohol not mixing well with his preheat. He remembers calling someone for help, a panicked voice telling him to not move, they’re going to arrive soon–
Sunghoon’s breath quickens when he stares right into a pair of gleaming red eyes and he squeals in shock, sensitive back hitting the wall. He whimpers in pain, eyes closing when the light is turned on. “Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you,” a raspy voice says and Sunghoon stares right into the apologetic face of Jay, whose eyes glitter like rubies, mesmerizing, dangerously, red.
Sunghoon never saw them red before, usually triggered by heightened emotions or, he gulps nervously, by omegas in heat.
He knows.
Sunghoon starts to hyperventilate, Jay knows and Heeseung has been right .
Stupid, stupid Park Sunghoon. Now he’s going to get taken advantage of before the alpha spreads around what an omega whore Sunghoon is. He will lose his stipend, his apartment, his life, all for a stupid crush on a guy who helped him out a while ago, touching his easy to obtain heart.
“ –so text me if you need anything, I will be close. Just wanted to make sure you’re alright before leaving you alone~” Sunghoon stares when Jay gives him a wobbly smile and a thumbs up, finger more bent than he ever saw, before going out of the room as if it's the easiest thing in the world.
It's not.
Even with all his arrogance and control, Heeseung nearly lost it once or twice with Sunghoon this close to his heat.
So for Jay to not only stay but leave without coming close to him, Sunghoon’s heart beats faster, hands trembling as he dives for his phone and sees the eleven missed calls and around thirty messages of Heeseung.
“Hyung,” Sunghoon whispers, knees to his chest and breathing deeply in the scent of blackberry and vetiver, the mixture calming him enough to continue. “I’m sorry.” The apology slips easily over his lips, ashamed how he reacted last night, regretting it genuinely.
“Hyung isn’t mad but Sunghoon–ah, where are you? I’m worried sick. I can come pick you up right now, doesn’t matter where,” his hyung says in a calm voice and he’s relieved.
Sunghoon weighs his options, it doesn’t make sense to leave where he feels safe, he decides. “I’m in good hands, hyung,” he replies simply, smiling slightly and happy Heeseung just hums instead of lecturing him. “I’ll call back later.” They both know he means after his heat.
Heeseung sighs. “You’re a big boy, I trust you with my life. However remember I’m only one call away~” Sunghoon hangs up with a smile on his face. It seems his hyung also used the time to think about his feelings.
*
Sunghoon is a curious boy, so after waiting for a few minutes, he jumps up to look around. His cheeks heat up at the oversized, black shirt he’s wearing, nearly reaching his knees and knowing Jay must’ve helped him out of his uncomfortable, tight clothes and into it. Strangely all he feels is embarrassment and no negative emotions. Sunghoon realizes just now that his paranoid omega, used to him needing to hide his status, is strangely quiet despite him so close to his heat.
The first thing he picks up is a family picture, Jay with his parents when he was a teenager and Sunghoon smiles at the scrawny boy who grew up to be a handsome and kind man, his parents look so bright and proud, it makes him sad because this shouldn’t be taken for granted. Bitter memories of his parents kicking up a fuss after he presented while the Lee family embraced him with open arms resurface.
Otherwise the room is very messy, Sunghoon scrunches his nose up and pushes the sleeves back. He can be nosy and help at the same time.
Sunghoon figures out that while Jay is messy, he isn’t dirty. Not even the clothes on the ground smell bad, he might’ve taken a few more sniffs than necessary to check on his gym clothes but nobody needs to know this.
Also he loves cute things. Sunghoon found so many rilakkuma articles, he lost count of and a few adorable, very soft squishy plushies as well. One he puts on Jay’s bed to cuddle later with (and maybe two or three items of clothes) and nods to himself satisfied.
Now onto the nest.
Sunghoon has a lot of work to do.
*
Jay’s nose is pretty good.
It’s his best sense even before he presented and a big reason why he appreciates good food so much. The smell entices him first before the richness of it touches his tongue.
It also means it’s easy for him to pick up scents.
“Hm honey,” Jay says confusedly and looks around. Honey is his favorite sweetener but he never actually smelled it on anyone before. Vanilla, sugar and chocolate is something he often finds in omega scents but never honey. It’s very faint but potent, as if he just poured the highest quality in his tea.
“Are you stupid,” Jake scoffs and bumps his shoulder. “There’s no honey around.”
Jay shakes his head, he could’ve sworn…
*
So it continues.
There will be a slight whiff of the sweet smell and Jay goes insane.
“You’re crazy,” Jake laughs, mouth shaped to a heart and heads turn their way.
Not that Jay notices, he’s much more focused in craning his neck and searching for the scent. “It’s a really nice honey smell,” he tries to explain for the hundredth time with a pout and Jake sighs.
“Man it was funny at first but Jay-ah, are you really good?” Jake looks at him full of concern with his big, puppy eyes.
Jay shakes his head, acting as if he’s not running after a phantom desperately. “Nah, it’s only a fleeting interest anyway~”
“Great, as you know my heat comes up and what it entails~,” Jake cheekily says with silly finger guns and Jay groans. He will never understand how the omega can be so popular, he’s just a dork.
*
So Jay lied.
It’s not fleeting at all.
And it all comes down ironically when he fills in for an alpha who’s sick.
“Thanks again, Jongseong-ah,” Heeseung says with a gummy smile and Jay gives him a thumbs up. It’s no trouble at all. He likes sports but prefers to work out. He likes his hyung, he always seems down to earth and calm, a lot of alphas should follow his example.
Suddenly he smells it again and turns his head, only to be confronted with the most beautiful sight he’s ever seen. The guy is throwing his head back while he laughs and hiccups goofily, eyes pretty crescents and fluffy hair following every movement, skin an empty canvas he would like to paint on, with moles and moles and moles.
He’s so pretty, Jay thinks dreamily, eyes slightly tinted red.
“That’s Sunghoon,” a cool voice says and the grip on Jay’s shoulder is strong, painful, a warning. “He’s my pack.” Heeseung doesn’t have to emphasize, Jay got the message loud and clear.
Jay smiles brightly back, acting as if he’s not one second away from fighting his friend. “He’s really pretty, hyung~”
Heeseung seems a bit taken aback at his honest reaction as he loosens his grip and Jay takes a careful step back. “Oh yeah, he is,” he agrees instantly, smiling softly again.
So no touching.
But Jay at least can watch from afar, finally having a face for the alluring yet subtle scent.
“Beta hm,” he muses as he scrolls through Sunghoon’s instagram account, not thinking before following the guy. Apart from his own beautiful and thankfully plentiful selcas, Sunghoon seems to have a general interest in photography, something he has in common with Jay, so his feed is also filled with food, drinks, scenery, flowers and strangely enough a lot of cats. (From his careful stalk-research he’s aware the beta has a cute dog back at his parents home.)
Jay will never admit, even under torture, how he squealed like a little girl and kicked his feet when Sunghoon followed him back and liked one of his reels, a short clip of him practicing guitar. He should continue to practice diligently.
“Is this love,” Jay wonders and giggles to himself. There’s just no way he would ever get to be with Sunghoon, he’s way out of his league and has a scary pack at his back.
*
“You know those who fall first lose,” Jake snorts, as he leans into him.
Jay closes his phone and throws it to the side, attention on the whiny omega. “It’s not love and even if, isn’t it nice to feel for someone so purely and strongly?” Jay grins charmingly.
Jake acts as if he has to think about it before shaking his head. “Nope, still stupid~”
Jay rolls his eyes and pinches his waist. Jake starts looking at him with those watery, big eyes and he's always been a sucker for puppy eyes. “What do you want to eat for breakfast?”
Jake rewards him with a big, happy grin. “Pancakes, please!”
*
Jay furrows his brows as he suddenly hears all the noises. A quick check on his phone tells him his battery for his airpods died and he quickly picks up all his books and notes. It’s a busy day in the library and he really can’t concentrate with too many noises around. His home has been a bit too cold and lonely lately, so the library was a good alternative. People around him but everyone is busy doing their own thing.
But not when he can hear every page turning, a lot of books moving and all the mumbling.
“Shit,” someone curses softly and Jay stops in his tracks, not knowing what exactly compelled him but his feet bring him easily to the person and close enough his nose also picks up the sweet honey scent, a bit more potent than usual.
Jay keeps the creepy, dopey smile from his face as he watches Sunghoon pout down at the book on the ground as if it personally wronged him. And who knows? Maybe it did. Jay picks it up and holds it in front of Sunghoon who watches him in wonder. His cheeks are a rosy color, a lovely contrast on his pale skin and this close he can count every single, long dark eyelash, prettier than any person he’s ever seen before.
“It seems your book fell,” Jay says when his hand hangs awkwardly in the air.
Sunghoon gulps before taking the book and for a second their fingers touch. It might seem cliché but he truly felt as if the first contact of their skin was special, a bit like burning, a whole lot like the love he denied to Jake and Jay tries his hardest to not let the effect on him show, whether on his face nor in his scent.
Especially since Sunghoon looks really spooked out.
Also strangely…as if he’s shivering. Which can’t be right. It’s a nice, warm spring day and Jay actually regrets wearing his oversized sweater just because it matched his outfit nicely.“Are you cold,” Jay blurts out, not able to stand the quiet. Sunghoon just has to say a ‘thank you’ and go away but they’re both just standing in continued awkward silence. He likes to delusion himself that Sunghoon is as reluctant to leave as he is.
Sunghoon tucks a strand behind his ear, it looks very endearing to Jay but truthfully anything the beta does would do it for him. He’s the cutest thing and it says a lot since Jay always believed nobody is cuter than his cousin Jungwon.
“A little,” he mumbles, barely loud enough for Jay to hear and the tip of his ears turn pink like his fingers as he nervously pulls his sleeves over his hand like paws. Jay is really going crazy at the display of his cuteness. “It’s nothing really-” Sunghoon stops, and sadly with it his adorable lisp as Jay pulls his sweatshirt smoothly over his head and holds it out. “Uhm?”
“I’m hot,” Jay explains and cringes at the way it sounds. He fans his face and grins. “Despite my cold hands, I get hot easily, so it’s fine. I don’t want you to catch a cold, it’s exam season soon~”
Sunghoon looks at the item like he did with the picked up book before, in open wonder before putting the book in his bag and accepting it.
Now Jay might be booksmart but he’s also stupid.
He certainly didn’t think it through because of course Sunghoon would wear his offered sweatshirt. His shirt. Sunghoon is wearing his clothes, his clothes with his scent clinging to them thanks to how much he’s been sweating and aghast, he feels and hears a slight rumble emitting from his chest, his alpha apparently really on board with this stake of claim.
Except it isn’t.
It’s not.
It’s-
Jay exhales weakly. Usually he has no problem with other people, he really doesn't know why he acts like this with Sunghoon. But the black color suits his skin tone so well. The beta usually wears lighter colors, so it’s really a sight for sore eyes. For Jay’s sore eyes. Oh god, he wishes he could take a picture and stare at it all night like a besotted fool.
“Is it alright,” Sunghoon asks shyly and oh no, with the shirt it was already a deadly combination but sweater paws? Really? Is he trying to bring Jay to an early grave?
“It looks good on you,” Jay replies in a slightly huskier voice than usual, trying to cover it up by coughing like an idiot.
Sunghoon smiles and his eyes crinkle and oh god, a dimple appears and are those little fangs? Jay’s heart squeezes in his chest. Before he can do something stupid like kneel down and ask Sunghoon to mate him right here, right now, he bows quickly and mumbles a quick goodbye, sprinting away.
Apparently he still didn’t leave his cowardly ways behind.
*
“Yo, Romeo,” Jake greets him and Jay rolls his eyes before continuing to work on his notes. His next project is nearly finished, he just didn’t find the right melody and nothing he’s doing is giving him any inspiration.
“What's up,” Jay murmurs back, knowing Jake understands that he has to concentrate on his work.
“Whatever you did, seems to be working,” Jake continues irritably, munching on his kimbap as if he didn’t eat just an hour ago at lunch with Sunoo. “Sunghoon tells me I should tell you:Thank you~" Jake emphasizes it all breathily and fluttering his eyelashes, not that Jay sees his acting. "And he didn’t have your number. You need to up your game, man.”
Jay whips his head so fast around, he feels a bit dizzy, it could also be the sleepless nights he had pouring over the project and trying to forget one adorable beta wearing his clothes, even if it was just a sweater and totally normal, right. “He did,” he breathes, flushing at the knowing look Jake is giving him.
Jake hums before leaning down, their faces are nearly touching. “If you like him, don’t mess it up.” There’s a weird tinge to Jake’s usual playful voice and Jay gulps, taking his words to heart.
“I try not to.”
“Good boy,” Jake coos mockingly and messes his hair up before running away laughing, knowing Jay really has to work on this or else he’d be doomed.
He really wants to get his degree with honors.
*
“I don’t know what you did,” Heeseung slowly says and looks down at him.
Jay stares up at him innocently, putting his spoon back in his bibimbap and tilting his head confused. “I don’t know either, hyung?” He purses his lips before shaking his head. He doesn’t think he did something which could cause his hyung’s ire.
Heeseung lets him squirm for a bit longer before sighing and pushing a black, familiar item at him with a dark look. “If he sheds one tear, get ready for me to come and hunt you down.” He shows his elongated fangs with a sinister red gaze and Jay nods, watching his retreating back with a shudder.
“Scawwy,” he mumbles cutely and pushes his nose in the item like a creep. “Cleaned,” he sighs in disappointment, having hoped to get a small whiff of the intoxicating honey smell. There’s a crinkling sound and Jay furrows his brows, searching everywhere and his pockets and-
Oh.
It’s just a row of numbers and a neatly written name. Park Sunghoon.
“Wow~” Jay immediately puts the contact in his phone and opens his kakao.
He’s allowed right?
Without thinking much about it, Jay quickly writes a message with a strong beating heart.
*
Everything changes on a night where Jay drinks a glass of whisky to himself and stares at his phone screen too hard.
I want to see you.
They’ve been exchanging a lot of messages, tons of memes, greeting each other on campus and even facetime a few nights, yet they never really did take the next step. It’s a cliché that alphas should do the first step since they’re superior and all that bullshit but Jay never bought into it and actually enjoys getting asked out. However with how shy and introverted Sunghoon seems, he could wait for it for years to come which he would gladly do but!
Maybe it’s not so bad to play into the stereotypes a bit.
Jay hits send and drowns another cup. He already declined Jake’s offer to party, not really feeling it. Not solely because of Sunghoon but this close to getting his degree, he’s more anxious and stressed, forgets to eat more and sleep less. It’s a devil circle and he hopes getting a step closer to Sunghoon might help him relax a bit.
So it surprises him when Sunghoon calls him.
“Is everything alright,” Jay asks immediately. There’s loud noises in the background, a door opening before it’s quieter.
“Y-Yeah,” Sunghoon says unconvincingly, voice slurred a bit and worrying Jay who’s springing to his feet. “It’s fine.”
Jay is already putting his slippers on and a beanie on his head. “Where are you, Sunghoon-ah, I’m coming.”
His answer is a sob which terrifies Jay and he curses himself for not having shared locations with Sunghoon. He usually does it with every friend and loved one. It’s easy to find each other and right now he would fucking need it. Stupid, so stupid of him! But every time he talks with Sunghoon he just forgets everything else, attention solely focused on the boy who lights up his whole world.
“Jay-ah,” Sunghoon whines and hiccups, tugging at Jay’s heartstrings.
“Shhhh,” Jay soothes, whispering sweet nothing as he pushes the elevator button roughly. “Everything will be alright, ok?”
Sunghoon is quiet again before he breathes rather heavily in the phone. Jay is worried someone spiked his drink or something and he’s slowly succumbing to the side effects.
“Baby, tell me where you are,” Jay says urgently, not realizing he subconsciously let a bit of alpha voice slip. Not that it would have much effect on a beta, at least unless he uses the full power of it.
“I was at Jungkook sunbae’s party,” he whispers and Jay nearly faints in relief. He knows hyung’s address, the party where Jake went to today and Sunghoon doesn’t seem to walk very fast. “Jay, I need you. I feel so weird and hot and uncomfortable.” His voice gets slower towards the end and the alpha gets really worried.
Jay pushes his helmet over his head and throws his leg over his bike. “Don’t move, Hoonie. I’m going to arrive soon, hyung will take care of you~” Jay hopes he could tone down the panic filling his own lungs from his voice as he ignores any speed limit. Jungkook lives thankfully close by.
“Hyung,” Sunghoon mumbles, making his heart race and accelerates the engine.
“Yeah, I’m coming. So don’t move, okay baby? You’re doing so well, I’m arriving soon!”
Sunghoon only hums and all Jay can hear is soft breathing, the only thing keeping him sane as he listens for any suspicious noises.
As Jay rounds the corner to the big street where the houses start, he can make out a figure slumped against a lamp, hand with phone raised to their ear and the relief Jay feels is otherworldly, he nearly throws his other baby down as he jumps out and arrives in quick strides to his crush.
Immediately his nose is assaulted by the richt, sweet scent of honey and he shakes his head, eyes switching from red to dark brown to red again.
Omega, the alpha in him exclaims, far away from the rational tone he usually uses. It’s more like an animalistic growl and actually erupts goosebumps over his arms. There’s only one thing Jay can really do.
He stops before Sunghoon’s shivering form and holds his arm out, biting down hard, so hard a few drops of blood fall to the ground but it’s enough to make his alpha whimper, calming down again and Jay blinks. Apparently he can’t do anything about the red with an omega in heat so close by.
“Hello pretty baby,” Jay greets gently as he squats down and cups Sunghoon’s flushed and warm cheek with his cool hand. The omega nuzzles into it immediately, almost trustingly and even knowing his secondary gender, it takes the alpha’s breath away to see his dark, long lashes fluttering to look at him with half lidded and glazed over golden eyes.
“Alpha,” Sunghoon breathes and closes his eyes again, apparently content to let Jay take care of him.
“You’re a bit too trusting for my liking but we can talk about this later,” he mutters to himself. Jay smiles helplessly when Sunghoon whines and pouts as he takes his hand away to get a better hold of the younger, one arm around his knees and the other safely behind neck and upper body as he heaves him up, thanking himself for actually spending his time in the gym. While alpha strength is a thing, it’s still not easy to control and Jay won’t use any power he can’t control.
Jay wonders what Sunghoon’s reaction would be to know he bridal carried him back to his bike.
It’s a bit harder to make sure Sunghoon is safe on the bike. He puts him in front of him, glad he can still reach everything and it’s good how the omega is glued to his chest anyway, head resting comfortably on the crook of Jay’s neck as if he does it on the daily. Jay’s heart beats fast but he thinks it’s rather due to the feelings this boy invokes in his heart than him wanting to dominate an omega this close to heat.
“Omega huh,” Jay muses, not having calculated this outcome. There must be a reason Sunghoon is hiding his identity and thinking about all the disgusting people taking advantage of omegas or making them feel inferior, his hands tighten around the handlebars, it makes sense. “Don’t worry your secret's safe with me.” His answer are small puffs of air against his neck.
*
Sunghoon breathes out and looks around happily. He cleaned it similarly to his own room in the apartment he shared with Heeseung and already feels like home. It helps that he wears more comfy clothes he took from the wardrobe, thinking Jay won’t mind it as he was already wearing his shirt and maybe he smelled them all and chose those with Jay’s scent clinging to them the most. It might be gross to some people but his omega craved an alpha’s calming pheromones.
(That’s the only reason.)
Not his big crush on the alpha, nu uh.
Sunghoon pats his heated cheeks in embarrassment. “Get a grip, Park Sunghoon!”
After a few minutes and with nothing else to do, Sunghoon is bored out of his mind. He hates confined places unless he’s binging a drama, so ignoring the risk and his slightly stronger heartbeat, he steps outside the room. He hears some muttering and walks closer, a delicious smell making his mouth water.
“Uhm so apparently they’re in heat so I’m taking care of them now,” he hears Jay whisper.
And now Sunghoon knows eavesdropping is bad.
But Sunghoon has always been a curious boy. And it’s obviously about him, so he has a right to know, right?
He doesn’t hear the reply but his nose twitches. Is Jay cooking? His hyung can cook a bit, they usually order out but it never smelled this good.
“Thanks for the compliment,” Jay chuckles and activates the annoying butterflies in his stomach. Sunghoon stares sourly down at the traitor. “Na, it’s more like an accident? I’m really just here to make sure they’re fine! I think they had some bad experiences before and are very cautious now if you know what I mean.”
Oh.
Sunghoon takes a step back. Knowing, hoping, Jay is a good guy (alpha) is one thing but hearing him talk like this about him without knowing the omega can hear him, not even using gender pronouns to give him away, is both lovely and overwhelming.
Jay isn’t aware but Sunghoon does have bad experiences. At first he was afraid because of his parents reaction but then he decided to try to date like any normal person. And then he trusted the first alpha after Heeseung with his heart and his secret, only to have him nearly destroy everything he worked so hard to achieve. It was a jarring experience, something Sunghoon still has nightmares about and why he never let any alpha close to him. The guys on the team don’t count, it’s shallow at most but the only person he allows close has always been his hyung.
Sunghoon stumbles back into the room and ignores the bed, slumping down into the nest he carefully arranged after searching for good utensils to use. It’s a bit minimalistic to his taste but he pulls the sweater up to his nose and hugs the black cat plushie closer, hoping he can sleep and forget for a bit.
*
Jay debates with himself for a moment before opening the door after Sunghoon didn’t answer again. While he wished the omega contacted him, he wouldn’t pick up any call and the food was getting cold. He worries since he can’t be sure when Sunghoon ate the last time and how he’s feeling. His heart drops when he can’t see him on the bed and the door to the empty bathroom is wide open.
However his nose tells him Sunghoon is here. In his panic, Jay doesn’t even realize the new state of his room, stepping more inside and halting before the nest Sunghoon has carefully arranged, taking in all the various items from his room, all the pillows and plushies and clothing articles, he can even see some pictures and his reading glasses.
“Cute, so cute it’s driving me crazy,” Jay shakily exhales and nudges Sunghoon’s leg with his foot, balancing the tray skillfully. Working as a waiter for a bit on the side as a favor really works out well. (Jay has the habit of not being able to say no when a friend asks him for assistance.)
Sunghoon makes the most heart wrenching noises, smacking his plump lips and Jay feels himself flush. He’s just so unbelievably pretty, no matter how long he has known him, how close they've become, how often he watched him sleep on facetime like a creep, he could never tire of watching him.
“Sunghoon-ah~” Jay nudges him again and finally his lashes flutter. He’s surprised to see warm brown eyes with specks of gold opening instead of the fully golden ones he caught a glimpse of. It means Sunghoon rested well and it fills him with pride, even if it has nothing to do with what Jay did for him. “I prepared porridge for you. Mother always likes to eat when she feels under the weather.”
Or at least Jay remembers his father preparing it for her in her heat. His parents raised him with an open mind, not shying away from explaining everything about second genders to make sure he grows up to be a good boy. He can only hope they’re proud to call him their son.
Sunghoon tilts his head cutely, mussed up hair falling into his eyes, making him blink even more, just like a doll. Jay’s heart squeezes. He really loves cute things like his rilakumma collection shows. Sunghoon might top it, he’s sure the bears don’t mind. “W-What,” he yawns adorably, fangs peeking out and raising his hand to cover his mouth politely. Jay’s eyes nearly bulge out when he realizes Sunghoon is wearing even more of his clothes (He’s been sure Sunghoon would change back into his own clothes upon waking up, Jay washed them and neatly arranged it on a pile. An untouched pile he now realizes.), the sleeves once again turning to devastating sweater paws. “Jay-ah?”
Jay shakes his head, deciding to breathe through his mouth for a moment before lowering down the tray. Sunghoon looks at it in pure wonder. “I prepared a bit of porridge with chamomile tea for you. It’s nutritious and calming. Please use the phone if you need anything more.” It’s getting a bit too cramped for Jay’s taste. Sunghoon looks so cozy and at home in Jay’s home and wearing Jay’s clothes that he might do something he won’t be proud of.
However Sunghoon seems against him keeping his sanity. “Stay.”
It’s a whisper but Jay hears it, hoping he’s wrong he still asks for clarification eloquently like always. “Uh what?”
Sunghoon stubbornly looks into the bowl instead of his eyes and it frustrates Jay. “Stay, please. I don’t want to be alone.”
Ok, ok, cool, cool, cool.
“If you want that,” Jay says stiffly and gulps when Sunghoon nods quietly, picking up the spoon.
“Thank you for the food, I will eat it well~”
*
Sunghoon is still reeling from the fact he was so bold to have invited Jay to his nest. At first, still full of prejudice, Sunghoon has been sure Jay is going to ravish him, after all he gave his consent practically. (Sunghoon is aghast at how much he wouldn’t mind. They haven't even gone on a date yet!) But instead he just sighed, picked up a bunny plushie and sat down in front of him quietly. And while they might’ve not met in person on a d-date yet, he knows Jay is burning to ask something of him as he plays with his strings and rings nervously.
Like a child, it’s kind of cute.
“You can ask,” Sunghoon says around a mouthful, eyebrows furrowed in concentration, loving the taste. When he glances up, Jay is smiling, eyes crinkling as he watches him. People have told him he looks ridiculous, a bit angry, when he tastes food he enjoys but Jay just looks… fond. Sunghoon flushes and decides to blame it on his heat.
“If it’s alright,” Jay checks and Sunghoon has to remember what he said before nodding. “Does someone else know you’re an omega?” Sunghoon purses his lips. “Apart from Heeseung hyung?”
Sunghoon shakes his head, staring down at the bowl and eating quietly, trying to organize his thoughts into words. It’s the first time he has talked about this with someone other than hyung and that one time- “My parents had ambitions,” he starts, the corners of his mouth pulling downward. “The perfect son.” Sunghoon uses air quotations. “So when I got tested as an omega, it was like a slap in the face. I’m not sure-not sure if you know but athletes-”
“Breathe, Sunghoon-ah,” Jay says calmly and Sunghoon blinks through his tears. There’s a hand in front of him, palm up and he immediately clings to it like a lifeline. The coolness of Jay’s skin and the slight calming pheromones he releases relax Sunghoon enough that he can continue. It’s as important to him to say it than for Jay to hear.
“I was a figure skater,” Sunghoon whispers, letting the tears flow as his voice remains steady. “Not to brag but a really good one too, national level but there’s no place for omegas in such a competitive field. Their excuse? The heats! Too risky, too tempting, too inconvenient. As if alphas don’t experience ruts,” he spits out the last part out, years long worth of resentment flowing over, not even thinking he’s in an alpha’s home bad mouthing his gender.
Instead of feeling attacked, Jay squeezes his hand, thumb continuing to rub soothing circles. “I agree, it’s disgusting,” Jay hums and Sunghoon wishes he could see him but the tears really make it hard. “Especially with the resources at hand. I’m sorry you had to give up your dream.”
Sunghoon nearly recoils. Those words, genuine and simple, yet everything he wished to hear.
It’s always “Sorry, you’re an omega, you have to understand” or “Sorry, if only you weren’t an omega, son” that he had to hear until he couldn’t and ran away to the Lee family who welcomed him with open arms.
“Thank you,” Sunghoon whispers, wishing desperately he could curl up in Jay’s arms and hide forever.
“You’re welcome but don’t thank me for common courtesy,” Jay says, so bluntly as if it should be normal behavior. Sunghoon is pretty sure he isn’t aware how he’s the ideal, the one type of alpha every omega dreams of but barely is able to catch a glimpse in their lifetime.
Sunghoon drinks the last of his tea and puts the tray to the side, already sleepy from eating and pouring his heart out.
“You should sleep,” Jay remarks with an amused air, still holding his hand and Sunghoon makes a split second decision.
“I want a nap,” Sunghoon decides and Jay humors him until he continues. “And you have to be the big spoon, thank you~” The alpha is sputtering but Sunghoon is already moving to lay down, pulling Jay down with him and maneuvering them to the perfect position, purring happily.
Sunghoon can feel Jay’s warm breath on his neck, ignoring the slight tinge of fear and instead focusing on how nice it feels, safe and snug. He knows from other omegas who love to cuddle with their alpha partners and he has to agree, it’s different than when he hugs hyung or cuddled with him when they were younger. It’s like his personal heating pack at his back, soothing down his pain and dizziness from the heat.
It’s really nice.
“Is this ok,” Jay whispers, carefully adjusting his arm under Sunghoon’s head that is still interlocked with his hand and hesitantly putting the other on his lower stomach, cupping it a bit clumsily like a little boy. “My mom told me this feels good,” he explains with an awkward chuckle.
Sunghoon wonders why his mother isn’t raising all the alphas. All their problems would be solved. But no, there’s only one Park Jongseong in the whole world.
Lucky him.
Sunghoon needs to get used to the position but his omega surprisingly likes it and he’s usually high maintenance like him. “Is nice,” he decides, yawning again.
The omega usually has a hard time falling asleep, however this time it takes no time at all with the alpha holding him both tightly yet tenderly.