Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Love is warm and incandescent, and smells like vetiver."

Where Jimin grew up, there was a theory that, if you confessed your affections to someone during the first snow or spent time with the person you love on that day, the love you shared would last forever.

It was snowing the day that Jimin met Jeongguk for the first time.

Having just arrived back at his apartment building after going to lunch with a friend, the omega shook the soft, freshly fallen snow off his peach-colored umbrella and stepped inside the lobby. He greeted the receptionist with a crescent-eyed smile and wave, stomped his boots off on the entry rug, and closed his umbrella.

After she waved back, Jimin quietly walked over to the elevator and pressed the ascent button. He hummed and rolled casually on the heels of his feet, waiting for the doors to open. He could feel the cold biting at the tip of his nose, and his socks were damp from stepping in a puddle minutes before, so he was a little antsy to get home.

Because of that, when the doors finally did draw back, the omega walked in before looking and wound up knocking straight into something hard and warm. Squeaking, he stumbled back and brought an arm out in an attempt to catch himself from falling.

With quick reflexes, a big hand quickly caught his wrist—another hand going to Jimin’s waist—and the person brought him back up with a steady grip. Once his feet were firmly settled onto the floor, both of them stepped out of the way of the elevator doors and back into the lobby, where the omega glanced up to meet dark, observant eyes.

“I’m so sorry,” Jimin said in one exhale. His cheeks got hot all of a sudden as a wave of embarrassment washed over him. The man he knocked into was devastatingly handsome.

He had dark hair that was on the shorter side, which was styled with an undercut and middle part. He had a strong facial structure, big eyes, and a scent that was too attractive to ignore; something earthy and full of smoke—vetiver, Jimin realized after a second of inhaling nothing but that smell. He was tall and broad, and an alpha, too—that much was obvious.

Standing before him was easily the most beautiful person Jimin had ever laid eyes on. And he just knocked into him.

”I wasn’t looking where I was going,” Jimin explained. “I’m so sorry.”

The stranger took a respectful step back, pulling away from the omega. He wore baggy, dark clothes and had a crossbody bag slung over his front. “No, don’t apologize. I stepped off without even checking first. It’s my fault.”

“No, really,” Jimin insisted. He brushed a strand of blonde hair back that had fallen into his face when he bumped into the man. “I’m too clumsy sometimes. Thanks for catching me instead of letting me fall—which I totally would’ve deserved.”

To his surprise, the alpha smiled and shook his head again. “It’s really okay.”

Jimin sighed, clutching awkwardly at his umbrella. “If you say so.”

At that exact moment, the doors for the elevator begin slowly shutting. Jimin sucked in a breath and moved closer, ready to stop them, but then, before he could do anything, the stranger lifted an arm and pushed back against one side, successfully holding it for Jimin.

He patiently looked at the omega, and when Jimin finally got the hint and stopped blinking at him without a single thought behind his eyes, he offered another word of thanks, got onto the elevator, and pushed the button for the fourth floor.

“Don’t mention it.” The alpha took another step away from the elevator but glanced back at the omega over his shoulder. They exchanged eye contact, and something hot sparked in Jimin’s core. The stranger’s lips pulled up on one side again, his dark eyebrows lifting. “See you around.”

“Sure! Just hopefully not like this again,” Jimin joked with him, smiling back. He had to bite back an outright grin when the comment earned him an airy laugh from the alpha.

“Right.”

With that, the handsome stranger casually pocketed his hands and sauntered through the lobby, giving Jimin a great view of how toned his back was through his thin t-shirt. The elevator dinged, and the doors started closing again, and the last thing Jimin saw was the alpha opening the door that led to the gym in their building.

He sighed and slumped back as the elevator began going up. The gym was for residents only, so, joking aside, his odds of seeing that alpha again were decent—even if the number of occupants for their building was significantly higher than some other places in town.

Jimin endured the short ride up to his floor and continued mulling over how attractive the alpha was. Even if the omega wasn’t looking for a relationship, it’s not like he didn’t have eyes. He could appreciate a good-looking person when he saw one.

And that alpha?

Jimin groaned. “So hot.”

Jimin wasn’t the type to meet his neighbors.

It wasn’t that he wanted to seem unfriendly or anything; it was just a safety precaution, mostly. He lived far from his family and only had a handful of close friends nearby—all of whom he had known for years, at this point. Practically since he became of working age, he had resided by himself.

So, he liked to keep his cards close to his chest. And walking up to a bunch of strangers’ doors with a big smile on his face to introduce himself as a young omega without his walls up, and inadvertently giving his address to all of those people? Not the most clever idea.

Because of that, Jimin had been living in this apartment since he turned twenty-three, and, for six years, he had only gotten to know one of his neighbors—and it was by complete accident. It was the woman who lived above him, and they only met because one time she had a leaky sink and it was damaging Jimin’s ceiling, so he knocked on her door to ask if she even knew about it. She hadn’t. So, with Jimin’s help, they repaired it and had the apartment pay for the damages since it was the fault of piping that had been neglected for a handful of years.

And she moved out two months ago. So, Jimin knew no one.

That was, until a new neighbor who had moved in across the hall from him came over to introduce himself.

It was the weekend following the incident at the elevator—as Jimin had coined it. It was Saturday afternoon, and snow was still blanketing the streets outside of his window, but there wasn’t supposed to be any more until the following winter, so Jimin tried to get as many final looks at it as he could while working in his office.

He was lucky enough to work from home and had flexible hours. Four years prior, he became the sole person in the billing department at the company he worked for. It was a small ensemble that did commercial work, so it was manageable and, honestly, easy for him after he got the hang of it. He could pick his hours as long as he did his job, and hopped on a virtual call once a month to talk about the company’s finances.

It was days like this that he was especially grateful for his position. His heat was scheduled for about two weeks away, and he was at the stage just before preheat—meaning he had headaches and sweet cravings. 

Dressed in sweatpants and an oversized sweater, Jimin was typing up a response email when he heard the chime of his doorbell.

He paused his work and leaned back, his eyebrows furrowing as he quietly waited to hear the sound again. His doorbell never rang unless someone from maintenance was coming by to fix something, or he ordered food—and neither was happening today.

The sound came again, much to his shock.

With a confused frown, Jimin rose from his chair, slid on his house slippers, and walked out of his office. When he got up to the front door, he leaned up on his tiptoes and had to clasp a hand over his mouth to prevent a sharp gasp from escaping.

It was the alpha from the elevator.

He was standing a few feet back from Jimin’s door, holding a glass container in his hand—his other hand shoved into the pocket of his black cargo pants. He was casually looking off to the side, as if he had all the time in the world.

The omega shifted away from the peephole and looked down at himself. Panicking, he dragged a hand through his hair in a poor attempt to make it look less messy, and pushed his reading glasses further up the bridge of his nose. Did he have time to change? There was no way he could open the door looking like this.

That’s when the doorbell rang for a third time. Jimin dropped his head back and sighed. Accepting his fate, he took a glance into the mirror hung in his entryway and silently mourned his pride before going back to the door and opening it.

He tried his best to look like he didn’t know the stranger was already waiting for him, and let the confusion that had already faded away appear on his face as the alpha turned to him at the sound of the door clicking.

Surprise was evident in the alpha’s expression; his eyes widened a fraction, and he gave Jimin a quick up and down, which he winced at—far too aware of how he looked right now.

“Hey,” the alpha greeted.

Jimin leaned against his doorway, still holding the cool handle of the entrance. He tried to feign casualness as he replied, “Oh. Hi, again.”

Vetiver hit the omega’s nose in steady, thick waves. Without even trying to, his shoulders relaxed.

“I didn’t know you lived here,” the alpha said. There was a soft smile on his face, like he was pleased. He glanced down at the container he was holding, and then back up to Jimin, saying, “Uh, I just moved in across the hall. I was going around and trying to meet everyone.”

Gesturing over his shoulder, the alpha pointed to the door directly across the short hall from Jimin’s own.

The omega’s eyes got big. “Wow. No kidding.”

“Yeah.” The alpha chuckled. “Small world, I guess.” 

He didn’t give the pause in the air any time to get awkward before he continued, “Anyway, um, these are for you. They’re just chocolate chip cookies. I baked them earlier and was handing them out while I made my rounds.”

Jimin stared down at the container as the alpha extended it, blinking in surprise at the neatly stacked, fresh-looking sweets. With a smile, he stood upright and accepted them with both hands, careful not to accidentally drop the glass. He might genuinely keel over and die if he manages to embarrass himself for a second time in front of this man. “I—Thank you, wow. That’s really kind of you.”

“No, of course.” The alpha waved him off. “Uh, in case you have allergies or anything, I made oatmeal ones, too, if you’d prefer? I can go grab them if—”

“This is perfect,” Jimin reassured, a light laugh at the end. “I feel sort of bad, actually. This is the second time in a row you’ve done something nice for me with nothing in return.”

“Don’t mention it,” the alpha told him, smiling sweetly as he shook his head. “It’s really nothing. I just wanted to say hi.”

Jimin bit down on his bottom lip and looked up at the alpha, feeling a little taken aback at the gesture. He swore the man’s dark eyes danced down, tracking the movement, but he didn’t have time to process it before the alpha extended a hand, saying, “Anyway, it’s nice to properly meet you. I’m Jeon Jeongguk.”

Carefully balancing the container of cookies in one hand, Jimin offered his other and returned the greeting before drawing back. “Park Jimin. Nice to meet you.”

The alpha pocketed his hands. “How long have you lived here?”

”Six years, I think?”

“Wow. So, it must be a pretty decent place, then.”

“It is. Or, maybe I just have low standards,” Jimin said jokingly.

The alpha laughed at that, his tongue darting out to run over his top row of teeth as he looked at the omega. Observationally, he commented, “You don’t seem like the type.”

Jimin huffed a laugh of his own and teasingly replied, “What does that mean? Do I look stuck-up to you, Jeon Jeongguk?”

“Not what I meant.” The alpha defended lightly. His eyes scanned over the omega’s form again, and Jimin tried not to let it affect him, even though he was admittedly trying not to squirm under the attention. Jeongguk tongued the inside of his cheek and then said, “You just look… like you know what you like.”

Jimin blinked up at him, trying to think of how to respond. The comment almost sounded flirty, but he wasn’t sure. Jeongguk’s whole demeanor was friendly and direct, so maybe his comment was just the same.

In the end, the omega settled on smiling and gesturing to the container of cookies. “Well, one thing I definitely can confirm I like is sweets. Thanks again for this, really. I was craving something with sugar, so you read my mind.”

Jeongguk took a step backwards, lips still turned up on one end. “Happy to help. It was nice to meet you, Jimin. I’ll see you around.”

“Yeah, see you,” Jimin agreed, waving.

The alpha spun coolly on his heels and headed back to his apartment, so, with one final look, Jimin quietly slipped back into his own. His heartbeat was irregular, and his pheromones were more heightened than before. 

He only hesitated for a moment before placing the glass container down onto one of his kitchen counters and tentatively opening it. Inside were about eight cookies; fluffy but crisp around the edges—cooked perfectly. They smelled delightful, and Jimin made a happy sound, plucking one up and examining it for a second before taking a small bite.

Dramatically, he fell back against his counter and moaned close-mouthed at the taste. The baked treat practically melted in his mouth, and the consistency was perfect. Under the minuscule possibility that Jeongguk poisoned these, Jimin had the fleeting thought that it would be worth it for the taste.

Still chewing, he spotted something from the corner of his eye and looked down. His brows drew together, and he set the cookie back into the container, only to pick up the lid instead. Taped to the inside of it, there sat a small note.

‘I hope you like them! Here’s my number in case you ever need anything: xxx-xxx-xxxx

Apartment 203,

Jeon Jeongguk’

Jimin bit back a grin at the cute note and fished his phone out from his pocket, typing away. When he was done, he reviewed the message he had crafted for his new, hot neighbor and pressed send.

To: Jeongguk

Hey, it’s Jimin! I just wanted to say thanks again, Jeongguk :)

BTW, you’re a good baker

He didn’t expect it when, halfway through his second cookie, the alpha texted him back.

From: Jeongguk

Ha, thanks

Anytime ;)

The omega noted the winky face but tried to ignore it, choosing to believe Jeongguk was just being nice again. Even so, he couldn’t get rid of the giddy, light feeling in his chest, but was there really another option when his attractive new neighbor had made such a sweet effort to meet him? Jimin thought not. It was only natural to be in a good mood after something like that.

After liking the text message, the omega finished the second cookie and hummed happily. 

So, his new neighbor was hot and a good cook. Noted.

Again, Jimin wasn’t the type to meet his neighbors, but that didn’t mean he was going to ignore his neighbors, right? Especially when one neighbor in particular was handsome and had been nothing thus far outside of amiable and perfectly pleasant.

So, the omega vowed to do something nice in return for Jeongguk.

He spent the weekend finishing the cookies and trying to think of what he could do in exchange. Acknowledging that he still needed to return the alpha’s glass container, Jimin decided that he should make a dish for his new neighbor.

Dancing on the cusp of his pre-heat, Jimin spent Monday morning in his kitchen, making a meal to give to the alpha. He didn’t know what he liked, so he tried to make a little of everything: plain rice, chicken, and a vegetable stir fry. He plated it all neatly into Jeongguk’s glass container, seasoned it, and gave himself a nod of approval for his efforts.

After putting his own serving of lunch into the fridge for later, he changed out of his apron and into simple jeans and a sweater before heading across the hall.

He wasn’t even sure if the alpha was home. He more than likely wasn’t, considering it was the middle of a workday. Jimin already planned that, if he wasn’t home, he would refrigerate the food and come back this evening.

With a nervous exhale, Jimin pushed Jeongguk’s doorbell and heard the quiet chime of it through the front door. He shifted on his feet, awkwardly staring down the poorly-lit hallway as he waited.

To his shock, he then heard a familiar deep voice call out, “Be there in a second!”

Anticipation shot through Jimin’s core, and he went stock-still, holding his breath as the knob turned. When the door finally opened, the first thing the omega took stock of was the strong scent of vetiver coming from Jeongguk’s apartment. The next thing he took note of was lots and lots of tattoos.

He blinked as the alpha stepped into the doorway, leaning his bare arm against the wooden frame. 

Jeongguk was shirtless.

Dressed only in joggers and a necklace that hung at his chest, the alpha was standing in front of him with one hand in his pocket and the other at the door. Tattoos covered both of his arms and flowed over the top of his chest.

Overwhelmed by the jaw-dropping sight of abs and tanned skin, Jimin’s cheeks went warm, and he somehow managed to look up, finally meeting the alpha’s gaze.

Jeongguk looked surprised to see him, but not unhappy about it. His lips turned up. “Hey.”

“Hi,” Jimin greeted back, the word more strained than he intended. Trying hard not to stare at dark nipples against a firm chest, the omega shoved the glass container out, saying, “This is for you. It’s my way of saying thank you for the cookies. And—er, for the elevator thing, too, I guess.”

The alpha’s dark eyes finally fell to the container of food. Something soft flashed across his face, and his smile widened as he reached out, happily accepting his kitchenware back. “Wow, this is… I really didn’t do that so you’d do something in return.”

“I know.” Jimin shrugged and brought his hands together in front of his body. “I just wanted to. Plus, I had to give you the container back somehow, right?”

Jeongguk bit back a grin and peered up at him. “Thanks. This looks really fucking good. You seriously didn’t have to.”

”Don’t mention it,” Jimin replied, throwing the alpha’s words from before back at him with a playful smile.

The alpha rolled his eyes jokingly in a move that looked far more attractive than it should have. “Right.”

Jimin stepped backwards, feeling giddy. “Well, anyway, I just wanted to drop it back off. I hope you like it.”

“I will,” Jeongguk promised. “See you later, Jimin.”

“Bye!” The omega said back as he retreated into his own apartment. With polite waves exchanged, both men disappeared back into their own homes.

Silence filled the room. Jimin leaned back against the oak of his front door and sighed loudly, placing a hand over his chest. He felt warm—near sweltering—and his heart was beating quicker than normal.

His pheromones got stronger out of nowhere, and his rose scent overtook the room in a matter of seconds following his hormone shift.

He glanced at the calendar above his hutch and frowned. It was still a week and a half before his heat was supposed to hit, but, if the way he was feeling now is anything to go by, he’d be in pre-heat by tonight. That meant his heat would come an entire week early.

Dropping his head back against the door, Jimin closed his eyes and made an annoyed sound. “Damn it.”

Aware that his heat was going to hit sooner rather than later, and preferring to be safe over sorry, Jimin took a trip to the grocery store a few days before it was meant to start.

He didn’t want to go to the store in pre-heat, but going in pre-heat was vastly better than attempting to go during his heat, so he counted his losses and got it over with. He tried a few times in the past to order online for delivery, but they never got exactly what he needed. Going on his own wasn’t fun, but if it meant getting whatever had to be on hand during the five to seven days of his heat, it was well worth it.

The snow melted away in the past week, leaving only the biting cold behind at the end of February. Jimin had his nose shoved in his scarf and was strolling along the concrete sidewalk as he approached his apartment building. With the wind whipping harshly in his direction, the omega ducked his head, trying to push through the brutal weather. The bags clutched in his fists at either side were heavy and working against him as he tried to contain his energy. He still had to get to the apartment, get upstairs, and put all of them away.

This was what was going through the omega’s mind when, in the distance, he heard the roar of an engine coming from around the block and drawing nearer. He didn’t bother looking up—too focused—even as the vehicle pulled to a stop in front of the apartment building. Jimin headed to the front door, trying to maneuver the bags into one hand somehow so he could scan his card and get in.

That was when he heard the engine cut off and then a familiar voice call out, “Jimin! Hey, hold up!”

The omega finally looked up and saw none other than Jeon Jeongguk. His jaw went slack at the sight of the alpha hopping off a motorcycle after parking it. He pulled off a black helmet and let his hair fall loose, and then jogged over to the entrance of the building.

He was wearing a leather jacket and boots, and tucked the helmet under his arm, smiling at the blonde omega. “Hey.”

“Hi,” Jimin responded blankly, much too distracted.

He owned a motorcycle. No, no—of course he did. Why wouldn’t he, right? Whatever helped to ruin Jimin’s sanity.

The alpha’s nose was red from the cold, and, next thing the omega knew, he was reaching over and easily taking most of the bags from Jimin’s strained arms. He left him with only one bag and—still somehow holding his own helmet and the majority of Jimin’s groceries—he managed to scan his ID card and open the lobby door for both of them, too. Jimin squeaked and slipped in, trying to keep pace with the alpha as he headed to the elevator. “You don’t have to do that! I had it all.”

“I want to,” Jeongguk insisted, grinning as he pushed the button for the elevator. Jimin tried half-heartedly to take some of the bags from him, but the second he reached out, the alpha shifted out of the way and laughed. “No way.”

So, feeling relieved and pitiful, Jimin pouted instead.

They got on the elevator together and traveled up. The omega cut through the comfortable silence after a while to say, “Thank you…”

“Of course.”

Jimin knew he didn’t need to explain himself, but still, he did—granted, he couldn’t handle eye contact as he told the other man, “I’ve been… feeling pretty fatigued since my heat is getting close. Really, this is a big help.”

Jeongguk was quiet for a moment. Then, he hummed and said nothing more on the subject. The reaction didn’t surprise Jimin. With how out of sync his hormones were, he wouldn’t be shocked if the alpha had already known he was in heat based on his pheromones alone. In an enclosed space like the elevator, the odds were likely.

He tried to shake the thoughts away as the elevator doors opened and they stepped off on their floor, heading down the hallway side-by-side. Jimin unlocked his door and pressed his back against it as it opened, leaving room for Jeongguk to walk in, too. He mumbled, “If you’d set them on the counter, that would be wonderful.”

While the alpha did exactly that, Jimin flicked on a few lights and slipped out of his shoes, then stripped off his coat and scarf. With the single, light bag he had, he headed into the kitchen after Jeongguk and started taking the tea bags he bought out. His cheeks were red, which he tried to blame on the weather and not his embarrassment over having unexpected company this close to his heat—especially in the form of an alpha.

He had been preparing for days, so there were signs of intense nesting everywhere; tons of pillows and blankets taking up his couch, extra candles and things lying around—and he had just spent the night before rubbing his scent nearly everywhere, so the whole apartment was dripping in rose. Judging by the way the alpha’s eyes darkened as he put the bags down, he certainly noticed.

It was vulnerable for an alpha to be in here, but Jimin trusted him well enough. Plus, he’d kick Jeongguk out in an instant if he made a rude comment, anyway—not that he imagined he would. They didn’t know each other well, if at all, so Jimin couldn’t blame the assumption on anything but a hunch and omega intuition.

Expecting the alpha to set the bags down and head out, Jimin began putting things away slowly. Over his shoulder, he expressed his gratitude again. “Seriously, thank you for helping bring those up. I appreciate it.”

Behind him, he heard plastic rustling. When he turned around, he saw Jeongguk helping take things out and sorting them to be put away. It was quite the sight; Jeongguk in his kitchen. The alpha’s lips were turned up on one side, and he teasingly said, “You don’t have to keep thanking me.”

Jimin’s expression softened, and he joined the alpha at the counter, both of them sorting through groceries together now. “You don’t have to help put them away. You’ve already done more than enough.”

Jeongguk’s laugh was light. “You don’t like anyone helping you, huh?”

The omega’s cheeks colored at that, but he ignored it and allowed the alpha to continue helping in an effort to, if nothing else, at least prove a point. Jimin only realized minutes later—after picking up on the satisfaction in Jeongguk’s pheromones—that that was definitely the alpha’s goal in messing with him.

Quietly, they worked together. Every few moments, Jeongguk would lift something in a gesture, silently asking where it went. Jimin would point him in the right direction and, after several minutes, almost everything was put away. From the corner of his eye, the omega took note of the alpha glancing around at the apartment. He was obviously trying to be subtle about it, but Jimin could tell he was curious.

So, working on the last two or three bags, he said, “You can ask if you want.”

Dark eyes glanced over at him. Jeongguk looked away again a second later, putting drinks into the omega’s fridge. “I don’t want to be rude.”

“I’m telling you to ask.”

A pause occurred. Then, the question finally came.

“Do you not… have a heat partner?”

Jimin’s smile was soft. He knew that was what he wanted to know. It’s what everyone who knows he goes through his cycles alone is always curious about. At this point, the question had stopped bothering him. So, his answer was sincere when he explained, “I don’t ever have one. Not because I can’t find one, but because I prefer going through them alone. It’s what I’ve done pretty much my whole life, and no one knows how to get through my heat better than me, right?”

Despite not really caring what Jeongguk thought about it, a small part of Jimin did worry he would respond with judgment or confusion. Instead, the alpha just hummed thoughtfully. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. It’s your body, after all.”

“Exactly,” Jimin agreed, refilling his flour container. Jeongguk stood up after putting the drinks away and gently shut the refrigerator door behind himself. Unprompted and not minding opening up a bit, Jimin continued, “Plus, most people don’t just want to be heat partners—they want a relationship. And that’s just not something I’m interested in right now.”

“I respect that.” The alpha nodded. Then, to Jimin’s surprise, he added, “I’m basically the same way. I usually have rut partners, but I’ve tried really hard the past couple of years to keep it as just that. I just moved an hour away from where I was before, though, so I guess I’ll have to find someone else now.” He shrugged casually. “It’s just easier when things aren’t complicated, so I get what you’re saying.”

Jimin’s lips parted as they made eye contact—something charged in the exchange.

The omega breathed out, “Right.”

After a tense second, the alpha smiled and looked away, grabbing the last bag to put away the items inside. Noticing what bag he had, Jimin made a sharp, panicked noise and reached out, attempting to take it before the alpha saw the contents. “Wait! Not that one—”

But it was too late. By the time Jimin retrieved the bag from the alpha and slid it down to the other side of the counter, Jeongguk already saw what was inside. His mouth dropped open, and the scent of vetiver in the room ripened out of nowhere. Mortified, Jimin’s entire face went red, and he looked away, wanting to drop into a hole and die.

Inside the bag was the new bottle of lube he bought, some heat pills that helped bring his fever down, and his birth control—because he figured he might as well get his prescription refilled while he was out. If he took it during his heat, he didn’t cramp as much. Now, though, despite the benefits, he was severely regretting every choice he had made.

After what felt like an eternity, the alpha cleared his throat. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Jimin squeaked.

“I should, um, probably leave you to it.”

“Right. Thanks again.”

“Don’t mention it,” Jeongguk insisted in an amused, exasperated tone, walking back to the door after grabbing his discarded helmet.

Politely, Jimin walked with him, and they came to a stop at the entryway. The omega folded his arms to hug himself, feeling chilly with his coat gone. He was ready to slip under his covers and watch bad television until he passed out. Luckily, he’d already caught up on his work for the next two weeks and informed his boss he would be out for his heat.

The alpha grabbed the door handle and looked like he was about to leave, but paused at the last second to look over at Jimin again, working his bottom lip between his teeth.

Jimin tilted his head. “Yeah?”

“Nothing, just…” Jeongguk trailed off, finding the words. He glanced away again when he finally asked, “Do you ever want it?”

The omega’s brows drew together. “It?”

“A… heat partner.”

His breathing hitched, and he pursed his lips, trying to ignore his racing heart. There were only so many reasons to ask a question like that, so the omega swallowed and considered his response carefully. In the end, he decided it was best to be honest.

“Yeah. Sometimes.”

And he swore the scent of vetiver in the air only got thicker. Jeongguk’s eyes were darker than usual and trained entirely on him. After another moment of tense silence, he finally turned the knob and drew the door back, slowly saying, “Right. Well, you know where to find me if you, you know… need anything.”

Jimin’s entire body felt like it was on fire. “Okay. Yeah, thanks.”

Jeongguk nodded. He gave the omega a final scan and stepped out of the apartment. “See you later.”

“Bye.”

Once Jeongguk got halfway across the short hall, the omega closed his door again and slouched against it, trying to steady his breathing. He listened as the alpha entered his own apartment and slipped inside, before the hall eventually returned to its usual silence.

He could’ve just been imagining this whole thing. This could’ve been his heat talking—or a delusion he was making up because of his admitted attraction to the alpha. 

Alternatively, this was real, and Jeongguk just offered to help Jimin through his heat.

Jimin wasn’t able to get Jeongguk’s words out of his head—and he tried. For the next few days, he was at home, going through his pre-heat. With a non-stop headache, cold sweats, and an aching need in his core, he sat around and attempted to distract himself.

With nothing much to do outside of waiting for his heat to start, he spent those days catching up on any chores he had, completing any last-minute assignments from work before his time off, and trying to convince himself that Jeongguk was just being nice.

People say that, right? ‘I’m here if you need anything,’ but it’s just general politeness—it’s meaningless.

Right?

Except, what he kept wrestling with was the fact that Jeongguk’s offer came directly after him asking if Jimin ever wished he had a heat partner. And that… couldn’t mean nothing.

His thoughts about the matter were a kaleidoscope when he needed a spyglass, so he was at a loss. There were a few times when he found himself sitting on his couch and thinking about how many days he was going to spend rolling around in bed alone, recalling how weary he was after the last heat he had. He was telling Jeongguk the truth when he said that he preferred to spend his heats alone, and he still stood by that, but he was only human.

The last time Jimin spent a heat with someone was the precise reason he no longer liked having a partner during them. 

He had been freshly single after a turbulent relationship in college, and was only looking for someone to help him through his cycle. However, after everything was said and done, Jimin only felt regret. The guy didn’t care because, to him, it was only sex. And, sure, it was only sex, but it was also so much more than that. Heats were a delicate time for an omega, just as ruts were for alphas. Jimin needed to feel safe, cared for, protected, and listened to, yet he came out of the experience not feeling any of those things.

It was distressing, to say the least. Not to mention, after the whole ordeal, the alpha tried to reach out again multiple times to take Jimin on a date, to hook up with him again. The situation left a sour taste in the omega’s mouth, and he gave up on the entire thing.

He didn’t need a partner—didn’t see a reason for one—and that meant that he wasn’t looking to date either. However, his omega still wanted someone who could act like a partner during his heat. The deepest, most intimate part of him craved someone to take care of him the way an alpha should take care of an omega in such a vulnerable state. It was only natural.

And Jimin couldn’t have it both ways. So, he was better off alone—a fact that he knew intimately.

So, why… did Jeongguk feel different? Why did a small, jumbled part of the omega have this sense that things wouldn’t be the same if it were him? After all, he hardly knew him, so it didn’t make much sense. He had nothing to go on. It was just a feeling—a hope, maybe.

He was trying to blame it on his heat talking, or just the simple fact that he, admittedly, found the alpha attractive. Perhaps, he was biased.

But as he marked days off his calendar and the thoughts lingered, the lack of reasoning and it not being a good idea started to matter less and less.

Pacing his kitchen the day before his heat was looking like it was going to hit, Jimin knew he needed to make a decision.

He might regret not asking. But, on the other end of things, he could very well regret asking, too.

With a sigh, he sat down at his dining room table and let himself be dramatic about the situation for a few minutes. He weighed the pros and cons of asking the alpha to help him through his heat in his head.

Cons? Jeongguk turned him down and never spoke to him again. Or, Jeongguk said yes, it went terribly, and then they never spoke again. So, pretty steep consequences.

Pros? Jeongguk said yes, and it didn't go terribly. They ended up having amazing sex—no strings attached—and returned to being friendly. And Jimin got to have a heat partner for the first time in years.

Another sigh left the omega. The pros are also mountainous.

Jimin replayed the moment Jeongguk was leaving his apartment the other day in his head yet again. He remembered the dark expression on the alpha’s face, his serious tone, and that sincere demeanor.

“Right. Well, you know where to find me if you, you know… need anything.”

With a groan, the omega stood up, slid the chair out with a screech, and stomped over to the front door.

”I’m just going to ask. Who cares?” He muttered to himself, putting on his slippers in preparation to cross the hallway, running a hand through his hair to ensure he looked somewhat decent. “Worst thing he can do is say no.”

‘Or, he can call you a psycho, slam the door in your face, and report you to the apartment for sexual harassment,’ Jimin’s mind helpfully surmised. He shook the thoughts away with another annoyed huff. He was hot all over with the incoming fever, sick of his own indecision, and horny.

Fuck the consequences. That could be an issue for post-heat Jimin to deal with.

Gathering his bearings, he took one more deep, steadying inhale and then pulled open his front door, ready to confront the alpha.

But he stopped before he could get more than a step in.

In his haste, he nearly missed the big, broad figure standing in the hallway right in front of his door. Jimin froze, blinking wide-eyed at just the man he wanted to see—

“Jeongguk,” Jimin exhaled, at a loss for what to say. All he could settle on was, “What are you doing here?”

The alpha had his hand paused in the air—balled into a fist—like he was gearing up to knock right as Jimin opened the door. When their eyes met, the alpha looked just as surprised as Jimin was. Awkwardly, he lowered his hand. Jeongguk was staring at Jimin like he was awestruck, but the omega couldn’t pinpoint why. 

And that’s when Jimin suddenly picked up on the vetiver in the air. It was heavier than normal; thick with desire.

Oh.

The alpha could smell Jimin’s pheromones. He was picking up on the need, the arousal—all of it—as it came from the omega.

Of course, it was normal for him to react. Jimin wasn’t thinking when he haphazardly opened the door, fully intending on having a conversation with the alpha without even considering the effects of his own arousal.

But they were already here. And, admittedly, a tiny part of Jimin felt a sliver of satisfaction at knowing that—even if only subconsciously—the alpha was still affected by him in some way.

Clearing his throat, the alpha looked away. Jimin watched as his jaw tensed and untensed. Finally, he said, “Sorry for coming by unannounced.”

“No, it's okay…” Jimin reassured, all the while waiting anxiously for an explanation.

The alpha’s gaze fell to him again, and the omega tried not to react when he saw how Jeongguk’s pupils were blown wide, something wild lingering in his irises. “I just… I’m going to say something, and if you want to completely ignore it or never talk to me again, I’ll understand. I just… I have to at least say it.”

Anticipation made the omega’s heartbeat kick up. He shifted on his feet, his brows furrowing. “I’m sure it’s fine. What is it?”

Jeongguk’s tongue prodded into his cheek. After a long moment, he finally said, “What I said before—about being here if you needed anything—I meant it.”

His words carried weight. Jimin felt the heaviness of their meaning settle in his chest. He pursed his lips, still not daring to say what he wanted to.

The alpha sighed, reaching up to run a hand through his dark hair. “Look, I know we haven’t known each other very long, and I don’t have any right to do this.” He shook his head, scanning Jimin’s features. “But I had to at least offer. I’ve been… a little restless—or, my alpha has been, I guess. Do you… know what I’m trying to say?”

Jimin did know. Of course, he knew.

“Jeongguk,” he started quietly, taking a step forward. His hands were clasped together with nerves, and he fiddled with them as he spoke. He was never the type to be this anxious—especially over an alpha. He chalked it up to how vulnerable he gets around his heats. “I actually… I was coming over to ask the same thing I think you’re trying to ask.”

The alpha’s breathing hitched audibly. Something like relief caused his shoulder to relax. “Yeah?”

Jimin nodded. “Honestly, I’ve… been thinking about it for a few days now.”

“So have I,” Jeongguk admitted, making the omega’s rose scent twinge with something sweet and distinctly pleased.

The alpha’s lips turned up on one side at the sudden shift, but, luckily, he spared Jimin the embarrassment by not saying anything to indicate that he had noticed. “I didn’t want to be too forward, and I heard you before when you said you usually prefer to spend your heats alone, so… I wasn’t sure if coming over here was a good idea but, like I said, it wasn’t going to sit right with me if I didn’t at least make it clear to you where I stand.”

His direct disposition was a breath of fresh air. In the past, alphas were avoidant or needlessly defensive. And here Jeongguk was—eyes full of honesty, words steady and reassuring.

Jimin wanted him, and he was okay with admitting that much. Having an alpha like this to roll around in bed with him during his heat could be a world of help. Not to mention, it would scratch the itch he had been feeling since they met.

So, deciding to throw caution to the wind, Jimin said, “I think that… I’d really like it if you would be my heat partner, Jeongguk.”

The reaction from the alpha was instant. Out of nowhere, the vetiver got even more intense—his scent dripping with desire. It wasn’t the same greedy, unkempt need that Jimin felt; the feral kind that drove him to the point of asking his neighbor, whom he barely knew, to sleep with him. It was a different kind of need, driven by his alpha’s inherent nature to take care of an omega when they were vulnerable—something protective and guided by instinct.

Jimin’s omega was so attracted to that part of him.

“I need you to be one-hundred percent sure,” Jeongguk told him, voice firm. The omega bit down on his bottom lip. Wow, he was so close to his heat that even a small bit of hinted dominance was getting to him. The alpha raised his brows, his expression serious. “You’re really close to your heat. I don’t want that to influence your decision.”

“It isn’t,” Jimin quickly reassured him. His cheeks colored at his own obviousness. “I am near my heat—I think it’s going to hit tonight or tomorrow, at some point—but I can still think for myself. This isn’t a spur-of-the-moment decision for me. I told you, I’ve been thinking about this for days. I know what I want.”

Jeongguk held his gaze, studying the omega while he spoke like he was trying to gauge how genuine he was being. Jimin looked up at him, trying to give the alpha his most convincing stare to further prove his point. Finally, after he clearly found what he wanted, Jeongguk’s expression softened, and he relented, “Alright. If you’re sure, then I’ll agree to it.”

Something electric shot through the omega, and his pulse sped up, thoughts of Jeongguk spending his heat with him—taking care of him, fucking him—were running rampant in his mind.

“But,” the alpha continued, and Jimin had to hold back a visible frown. He knew this was important, but damn, was he impatient right now. It didn't help that Jeongguk was wearing just a tank top and joggers. His hair wasn’t styled, and he looked so—

Jimin stopped his train of thought before it could derail anymore. If he wasn’t careful, his lust would be obvious in his scent.

“We should talk about some things first to make sure we’re on the same page—set a few ground rules.”

“You’re right,” Jimin agreed, even as every nerve in his body told him to let the man in front of him ravage him within an inch of his life without thinking of the possible downsides. “It would be reckless just to jump in, right?”

“Exactly,” Jeongguk said, but his scent told a different story. His pheromones were saying he was thinking the same things as Jimin, as though his own alpha was tempting him to do it. Based on the strain in his jaw, he was clearly resisting his instincts. “The fact is, we just don’t know enough about one another, and this is already sort of a crazy idea.”

Jimin’s eyes were busy dragging up and down the length of the alpha’s body, so he was hardly listening when he replied, “Yeah.”

The alpha swallowed hard and took a step back like he was physically having to resist how willing Jimin was. “I’m going to go back to my apartment and grab a few things. That’ll give you time to think on your own—to make sure you want this. If you’re even a little regretful or uncertain, just text me, okay? I won’t come over. We can pretend this didn’t happen.”

Jimin nodded. He already knew he wanted this, but he would promise if it made the alpha more comfortable. “Okay.”

Jeongguk took another step back. “I’ll be back soon, then. When I come in, we’re going to talk through how this is going to go. Does that sound good?”

Oh, his being this thorough and worried about consent was only serving to make Jimin more riled up. He had no idea what that said about him, but, at the current moment, he also didn’t care.

“Yeah, that sounds good.”

“Okay. Give me ten,” the alpha said before he turned away and headed into his apartment.

Jimin slipped back into his own place and paced by the entrance, a hand over his heart as he tried to calm down. He was so worked up—all over one alpha he hardly knew.

This was such a shift from his normal routine—so out of the ordinary for him. This would either go exceptionally well or be disastrous.

He was anxious. Nervous, too, but mostly in a good way? He wanted Jeongguk in his nest—that much he knew. The alpha was undeniably hot, and he’d been sweet so far.

Jimin knew what he liked and wanted, so he never really took risks.

Maybe Jeongguk could be his first exception.

With the little time he had before the alpha came over, Jimin tried to pick up whatever messes were around his apartment and freshened up in the bathroom, fixing his hair and putting on some perfume. When he realized he was basically grooming himself for an alpha, he took a good, long look in the mirror and walked out with a sigh.

That was when he heard a knock at the front door. With a single, deep breath, he took one more second to think about the decision he was making.

It didn’t take long to come to a consensus. He headed back to the entrance and pulled the door open to find Jeongguk standing there again. This time, he had a small duffel bag gripped in one hand at his side, and his brows were raised at Jimin.

He asked, “We’re doing this?”

Jimin responded by opening the door as far as he could, giving the alpha room to walk in. Joking, he told him, “Unless you’ve changed your mind?”

Jeongguk chuckled at that and walked in, giving the omega a small, flirtatious up and down. “Me? No.”

Despite himself, Jimin’s pulse quickened at that. He shut the door behind both of them and guided Jeongguk into the living room. The alpha set his bag down on the coffee table and looked around, getting a better look at the place since he only briefly saw it last time.

Tugging nervously at the sleeves of his shirt, Jimin asked, “Do you—Would you like a glass of water? Or, I have, um, like juice or—”

“I’m good. Thank you, though,” Jeongguk told him. He gestured to the couch. “Can I…”

“Of course,” Jimin reassured, heading over to the couch himself and taking a seat on the opposite end from the alpha. He felt so stupid for being this anxious. It was usually easy for him to be confident, even in situations that he didn’t expect to be in. His heat must’ve been to blame.

Once they were both sitting down, the omega tucked his legs under himself and looked over at the other man expectantly, waiting for him to lead the conversation.

Jeongguk looked a little stiff, but, overall, he seemed calm. He didn’t look nearly as nervous as Jimin did, and the omega took that as a sign that the alpha really wanted to do this—that he wasn’t just offering to be nice. And the fact that he wanted to talk about boundaries and expectations before they did anything also let Jimin know that he wasn’t just in it to have sex with him, either. If he were, after all, he wouldn’t bother with formalities. Jimin was eager, so if that was really Jeongguk’s goal, the omega doubted he would’ve minded already being in his room and undressed.

Wow, his heat was really getting to him. It was a good thing Jeongguk was going about this the right way, because Jimin hardly had the capacity to care right now.

“I want this to be good for both of us,” was the first thing the alpha said. He looked serious, and Jimin nodded, listening intently. “You’re obviously my top priority, since you’re going to be in heat, but neither of us should be uncomfortable at any point during this or have any regrets. Are we on the same page about that?”

Another nod. “Absolutely.”

“And you’ve done this before—in the past?”

“A few times,” Jimin admits. “It’s been years, though.”

“You know what to expect?”

The omega tilts his head, lips downturned. “In what way?”

“From me. Do you know what my role in all of this will be? I want to make sure we’re clear about expectations so no lines get crossed.”

Jimin’s cheeks got warm. Thoughts of being knotted and fucked until the heat burning in his core was satiated flowed through his mind. He knew what he wanted, knew what past partners did, knew the idea of what an alpha could offer him as a heat partner. That being said, he hadn’t had great experiences to go off of, and he also wasn’t sure what Jeongguk was willing to do—didn’t want to assume, either. In turn, he decided to be honest when he responded with, “I… don’t really know, no.”

Jeongguk’s brows lifted, and he gave Jimin an earnest look. “I’m here to help you—to give you anything you might need—that’s the whole point. So, is there… anything specific that you want? Anything I should know?”

All of the air escaped Jimin’s lungs. He had no idea how to reply to something like that. The alpha basically just brought him into a shop and told him to buy whatever he wanted—no regulations, completely free to roam. And, if it were from Jeongguk, Jimin would want so much. The knowledge of how deep the roots of his attraction went overwhelmed and surprised him. There was no way he could share all of the ideas he had swimming around in his head.

Looking at him, Jimin can only think of some of the most depraved things they could do during his heat together. “I want you to fuck me on your knot until I’m gaping,” didn’t seem like an appropriate thing to admit right now.

So, the omega gave a cop-out answer. “Just the basics, I guess. We shouldn’t… do too much, right? Since we don’t know how it’ll be.”

Jeongguk looked at him for a moment, as though gauging the response. Slowly, he said, “I guess you’re right about that.”

“Is there….” Jimin shifted on the couch so he was facing the alpha, wanting to give him all of his attention, “…anything that you want?”

The way the alpha’s dark eyes flickered down the length of Jimin’s body wasn’t lost on the omega. And if Jimin angled himself to show off the line of his body? Well, that wasn’t anyone’s business. “Like I said, it’s about you.”

“Right, but, like you said,” Jimin started, turning the words back onto Jeongguk, “we should both enjoy it.”

The alpha’s gaze flickered back up to him, and the seriousness in his expression pinned the omega in place. “If you’re enjoying it, I will be too. It’s that simple.”

Jimin couldn’t control it at that point. He was too close to his heat. The rose scent in the air got stronger and, in seconds, the alpha’s nostrils flared with recognition at the smell of arousal. Their eyes met, and, this time, Jimin held his gaze.

“Is there…” he asked airily, “anything else that we have to go over?”

“Safe sex,” Jeongguk said plainly.

The omega resisted the urge to squirm on the couch cushion. “I’m on birth control, and I got tested about a month ago. I haven’t been with anyone since before that.”

“I was with someone two weeks ago, but I got tested last week.” The alpha shifted, grabbing for his phone that was tucked into his pocket. “I have the results on my phone if you want to—”

“That’s alright.” Jimin waves him off. “I believe you.”

The alpha paused halfway, raising a brow. “I could be lying.”

“Why would you offer to show it to me on your phone if you were lying?” Jimin deadpanned.

The alpha lifted his hands in surrender, returning to sitting normally. Under his breath, he muttered with amusement, “Smart-mouth.”

The omega snickered.

“Anyway,” Jeongguk said in a playful tone.

“Anything else?”

The alpha made a thinking face, and it was so unexpectedly adorable that Jimin had to clap a hand over his mouth, worried about letting a grin show. How could someone look like walking sex and still be cute? After a second, Jeongguk sighed. “Nope. Can’t think of anything else right now.”

Jimin stood up and walked over to his television. “Well, my heat probably won’t start for at least a few more hours. So, are you up for a movie or something in the meantime? Maybe we can talk during—try to get to know each other a little better?”

“Sure. What movie?”

The omega turned the television on, grabbed the remote, and began walking back over to the couch. “Hm. I like dramas and documentaries mostly. You?”

“Same here. Action movies, too,” Jeongguk told him, shifting to get more comfortable on the couch. This time, when Jimin sat down, he picked the cushion next to Jeongguk and, when the alpha shifted, he casually stretched his arm out behind the omega on the back of the couch. Jimin buzzed with energy at him being so close, but still not quite touching.

He hadn’t been on a first date in years, and this wasn’t a first date—far from it. But he felt those same anxious butterflies that appeared on first dates now in his stomach at the alpha’s proximity.

“I’ve been into the nineties and two-thousands films recently,” Jimin confessed.

“Hm. I like those. I’m in the mood for something dramatic and cheesy.”

“I’m down for that.”

Jimin scrolled for a while and gasped when he came across the perfect movie. He looked over at the alpha, mirth swimming in his irises. Jeongguk grinned at the movie highlighted on the screen and, when he met Jimin’s gaze, he nodded in approval. “We have to, right?”

“I think we do,” Jimin agreed, laughing. He clicked on the movie and let it play, relaxing into the cushion. He hated to admit it, but even being close to the alpha this close to his heat was helping him calm down. Normally, by now, Jimin would be writhing around in bed in pain, his omega crying out for something that Jimin couldn’t satiate when he was alone; companionship, an alpha—someone to take care of them. Even if they hadn’t done anything yet, Jeongguk just being here was plenty for now. “It’s sort of a classic in its own way, right?”

As the opening scene for Beautiful Creatures began playing, Jeongguk sank further into the furniture, too. Both of them focused on the film and enjoyed the comfortable moment together, trying to actively ignore the tension in the room. Soon enough, they would be all over each other, but, for now, they should probably try to hold off for as long as they could. Heats meant lots and lots of sex, and that meant tons of energy spent.

Doing anything now would just be… wasteful, right?

That was what Jimin was telling himself as they watched the movie. They got through the first scene or two, and the omega was really trying to focus. But who could blame him for having trouble doing that when the most handsome alpha he had ever laid eyes on was sitting right beside him in his apartment, after seeking Jimin out to help him through his heat?

The omega risked a glance at Jeongguk and found that the alpha was watching the screen, expression perfectly neutral. Believing he was distracted, Jimin let his gaze wander down the alpha’s body, unable to help the need surging through him. He knew they should wait… but…

Just then, Jeongguk’s hand—which had been resting against the back of the couch—found the nape of Jimin’s neck. Long, slender fingers slipped up into the omega’s hair, petting softly. A shiver racked down Jimin’s spine, and his eyes slipped closed without meaning to. He was so hot, and Jeongguk’s hand somehow felt hotter. The skin-to-skin contact quelled something inside of him.

“I never asked your age.”

The omega didn’t bother opening his eyes. “Twenty-nine. You?”

“Huh. I’m… actually surprised you’re older than me. I’m twenty-six.”

“Why is that surprising?” Jimin asked, amused.

“Well, for starters, you’re smaller than me—”

“Hey!” Jimin’s eyes flew open, his jaw dropping as he looked at the alpha. Jeongguk was biting back a grin, looking thoroughly entertained.

“It’s just a fact.” He shrugged.

The conversation dwindled after that as Jimin melted into the alpha’s gentle touch on his neck and closed his eyes again, listening to the movie play in front of them.

For over half an hour, things went on like that. And with every minute, Jimin became hotter and antsy. He was beginning to get restless on the cushion; shifting nonstop, worrying at his bottom lip like it might alleviate the nerves he was feeling.

Of course, the alpha noticed.

“We could watch this,” came Jeongguk’s voice, steady and quiet, “or… we could take care of you.”

Jimin’s eyes fluttered back open. Trying his best to focus despite slipping further and further into his need by the minute, he reasoned, “But my heat hasn’t started yet.”

Finally, the alpha looked over at him. “I’m not so sure about that.”

The omega bit down hard on his bottom lip, suppressing a noise of pleasure as the alpha’s hand slipped further into his hair, toying with it.

“I can smell your arousal and… something tells me that, by the time we’re done, you’ll already be in your first wave.”

Oh. He was implying so much in a single sentence. Jimin’s heat wasn’t supposed to hit for several more hours—at least. Yet, here the alpha was, telling him that it would hit early. That could only mean one thing.

Slowly, Jimin ran his tongue over his lips, wetting them. Jeongguk’s eyes slipped down to his mouth, tracking the movement. “Are you saying you’re going to start my heat early?”

The hand in Jimin’s hair tightened. Jeongguk’s jaw tensed, and his gaze fell to Jimin’s again. “I’m saying that I’m going to take care of you.”

Heat swirled low in the omega’s abdomen. He squirmed on the couch, unconsciously scooting closer to the alpha. He hummed. “Then, do it.”

Jeongguk’s eyes darkened, and they were both perfectly still for a moment, as though waiting for the other to change their mind, but neither of them did. So, with bated breath, the alpha leaned in and, to get the omega closer to him, used the grip he had in Jimin’s hair to tug him closer. The omega went easily and let his eyes slip shut again when he felt the warmth of Jeongguk’s face against his own.

The vetiver was saturated up close. Jimin greedily breathed it in, eager for more. Their noses brushed together, and anticipation caused a lump to lodge in his throat.

“You know you can always back out,” Jeongguk whispered.

Jimin tried his best to shake his head, but it was difficult with a hand in his hair. He matched the alpha’s pitch. “I won’t.”

Jeongguk leaned in and, just before their mouths slotted together, he muttered, “Good.”

The alpha’s lips were soft and warm. They pressed against Jimin’s at the perfect angle. Tilting his head, Jeongguk shifted closer until the omega’s back was sunken into the couch and he was over him, keeping Jimin exactly where he wanted him with the fingers threaded through his hair. Another big hand went to the omega’s waist, and it had Jimin’s lips parting, a gasp escaping at the sizzling feeling on Jeongguk finally touching him properly. It gave the alpha the perfect opportunity to slip his tongue inside the omega’s mouth, tasting the lingering sweetness from the snack Jimin ate a while ago.

With a small, pitiful whine, Jimin reached out and fisted the fabric of the alpha’s shirt, tugging him closer as carnal need flooded through him. Jeongguk allowed him to do it, and only indulged him more when he shifted the fabric of Jimin’s sweater and slipped his hand underneath, touching against soft, bare skin. Jimin melted at the contact. It had been a while since he was last touched like this, and he’d almost forgotten how good it felt.

He squirmed at the contact, simultaneously trying to move away and closer—it seemed like too much and not enough all at once.

Jeongguk drew back from their kiss just enough to mumble, “You’re already so worked up.”

“No ‘m not,” Jimin argued, feeling embarrassed over being so vulnerable like this. He reached up and circled his arms around the alpha’s neck, holding as close as he could, but it still didn’t feel like enough.

The alpha laughed against his mouth and, between messy kisses, teased. “Oh, yeah?” His hand slipped further up Jimin’s body, caressing his side and stomach, and then continuing up until a finger brushed one of the omega’s nipples. Sensitive all over with the heat surging through his body, Jimin gasped at the contact, and his back arched up into the touch. Jeongguk hummed. “Seems like you are.”

Jimin made a petulant noise and kissed the alpha harder, as if trying to distract him from messing with him, but it only caused Jeongguk to smile against his mouth and pinch the nipple between two of his tattooed fingers, acting victorious when the action earned him a pitched whine from the omega.

They continued making out on the couch until their mouths were swollen and red, spit freely exchanged between the two of them. Jimin was so caught up in the alpha’s mouth and his fingers sliding from one nipple to the other—rubbing and playing with him until the buds were swollen—that he hardly noticed it when the alpha shifted them on the couch. He only realized after he was already lying flat across the length of the sofa, Jeongguk over him with a leg between Jimin’s own.

“How much can I take off of you?” Jeongguk broke off the kiss to ask, voice deeper than before. He tugged at the end of Jimin’s shirt as he spoke, making it clear what he wanted. While waiting for a response, the alpha nudged Jimin’s jaw up with his nose and started kissing down the length of his freshly exposed throat. His mouth was hot and wet on the omega’s skin, and he sucked lightly at his neck, clearly trying to be careful not to leave marks since that wasn’t something they had spoken about.

“Everything,” Jimin answered easily, the word dropping off into a sigh as he enjoyed the feeling of lips on him. Jeongguk knew how to use his mouth. He was skilled with every little swipe of his tongue, every teasing nip on the omega’s skin. Jimin could tell he was testing the waters, and he wanted more, so he felt comfortable telling the alpha, “You can bite, too. I like it.”

The alpha went completely still, breathing hotly against Jimin’s throat. Not understanding what gave him pause, Jimin made a sound of complaint and tugged on the alpha’s shirt, wanting him to keep going.

That’s when the vetiver in the room got ten times stronger. It came in thick, heady waves and washed over Jimin instantly. It was full of arousal and want, and the hint of something feral in his pheromones made the omega whimper quietly.

“You should never—” Jeongguk started, but stopped himself in the middle to place a gentle peck on Jimin’s collarbone, “—have an alpha you just met at your neck—” another kiss, “—and tell them to bite you.”

Jimin gasped, finally understanding the implication. The alpha’s voice was velvety smooth as he warned him, and it seemed like everything was only making him more turned on right now. Out of nowhere, he felt wetness between his legs and desperately tried to clasp them together, not wanting to make Jeongguk privy to that information right now. It was way too early for him to be getting wet.

But he couldn’t close his legs. One of Jeongguk’s knees was still slotted in between, and it stopped him halfway. Both of the alpha’s hands shifted; one planted itself on the cushion beside Jimin’s head while the other grabbed at one of his plush thighs, tugging it up and letting it slide along Jeongguk’s hip.

The alpha caught him immediately. He leaned up and held eye contact with the omega. The mirth and lust in his irises told Jimin that he already knew what was happening—the omega’s scent probably gave him away instantly. “Why are you trying to close your legs?”

“I…” Jimin started but couldn’t keep talking. Even he could smell it now; the sweet aroma of rose in the air, mixing deliciously with Jeongguk’s vetiver scent. He could feel himself soaking through his underwear already, and his cock was straining against the layers of clothing, aching with need. He was too hot. Jeongguk would know he was lying if he tried to deny it, so there was no point.

A dark brow lifted, and the alpha’s eyes narrowed. As if trying to test boundaries, he said, “Answer me,” and watched Jimin’s face, gauging his reaction.

But he didn’t have to worry. The omega keened high in his throat and rocked his hips up, trying and failing to get attention where he needed it. Jeongguk being demanding was so fucking hot, and he was losing his mind.

Giving in, he admitted with a flush, “I-I’m wet.”

“I know that.” The alpha leaned down, teasing the omega by nipping at his earlobe. His whole demeanor was suddenly more confident than before, and he seemed pleased that Jimin clearly responded well to him acting more dominant. “That’s not what I asked you.”

“I tried to…” Jimin attempted but broke off into a moan when Jeongguk suddenly sucked on his earlobe, toying with how sensitive he knew the omega was. Fuck, he was a bigger tease than Jimin thought he would be, but he certainly wasn’t complaining. “It’s just—It’s embarrassing.”

“What is?” Jeongguk asked, pulling off again. This time, he gently placed Jimin’s leg back down against the couch and sat back on his haunches, tugging at the bottom of the omega’s sweater. Without thinking, Jimin easily lifted and allowed him to strip him of the fabric. “Getting wet?”

Jimin’s hard nipples were hit with a sudden influx of cool air, and he absentmindedly touched them with his hands, staring up at the alpha with flushed cheeks and his messy, blonde hair haloing around the cushion. Still playing with himself, he explained, “I’m never wet this early.”

Jeongguk’s expression changed. He was looking at the omega below him like he wanted to devour him. His gaze fell to where Jimin was touching himself, down to where his dick was still outlining his pants, and then back up to the omega’s face. Then, he brought a hand to the back of his own shirt and yanked it over his head, before tossing it to the side without a second thought.

The omega’s breath hitched. The tattoos Jimin saw before were present again, and his mouth watered at the sight of them. Jeongguk’s abdomen was firm, his shoulders broad. There was a single, silver necklace hanging from his neck, and it looked sinful against so much tan skin.

“Do you know why you’re getting wet so quickly?” Jeongguk dove back down, kissing Jimin while inching his fingers into the hem of his pants, showing his intent to get them off next. Obediently, the omega raised enough for the alpha to work them down his body, over the curve of his ass and hips, and down his legs. Once they were halfway down, Jeongguk pulled back long enough to get them the rest of the way off and left the omega with only his underwear on. He didn’t wait for a response. “It’s because your omega can sense me.”

Jimin knew as much already. It was only natural. Even so, a part of him was humiliated to admit that fact. The fact that—having an alpha here—it really did help. It sped things along; it brought out the most primal part of his being. He loved it and hated it so much.

“You’ve been denying your body something it’s wanted for so long—of course you’re practically falling apart the moment you get it.” One hand returned to the couch while Jeongguk’s other ran along Jimin’s hands, feeling around where the omega was touching himself at his chest, teasing his nipples and rolling the buds between deft fingers. Assuming the alpha wanted them to trade places, Jimin started drawing back, but his wrist was grabbed and held in place. Jeongguk placed a sweet kiss against his temple. “No, keep going. Touch yourself.”

Slick soaked through Jimin’s underwear, wetting the inside of his thighs. He whined and did as told, continuing to toy with his own body. He couldn’t get over how Jeongguk was acting. The way he spoke about how Jimin needed an alpha with something bordering on condescension, the way he acted stern with him—it was all satisfying something that had been buried deep in the omega, hidden away for years.

While Jimin was busy doing that, Jeongguk shifted down. He put both hands on the omega’s slim waist and kissed directly above his belly button, making him squirm. The alpha licked a stripe up the line where his happy trail would have been, teasing him endlessly.

“Jeongguk,” Jimin sighed out, arching up into the touch.

“I know.” He moved even lower, picking Jimin’s legs up by the thick underside of his thighs and holding them up to either side of his head. Between the omega’s legs, the alpha peppered sloppy kisses beginning near his knee and traveling down, slowly inching closer to where Jimin needed him most. “You said you like biting?”

At his words, Jimin’s cock twitched desperately, pressing against the fabric of his underwear and begging for attention. He rolled his fingers hard over one nipple, trying to find any way to satiate the need coiling tight in his core. “Mhm.”

“Yeah?” Jeongguk ghosted his lips along the delicate inner part of the omega’s thigh, making Jimin’s leg shake at the thought of him biting down right there. “Want me to bite you?”

He made a high noise in his throat. “Yes.”

“Ask me for it,” Jeongguk told him. With the omega’s other leg, he shifted his hand so that he was gripping hard at the inside of his thigh, teasing him by giving him just a taste of having something more rough on such a sensitive area.

Jimin gasped. He was never one to plead with an alpha to give him something, but the way Jeongguk brought him to this point—the way he made Jimin crave more so badly—it was like he just couldn’t stop himself anymore. “C-Can you bite me? Please, I—”

The alpha chuckled—a slow and condescending sound. Jimin lifted on his elbows, feeling like he was going crazy with how hot he found this whole thing. It was a mistake to look, though. If he was already overcome with desire, the sight of the alpha holding one leg apart while kissing sweetly along the other, looking up at Jimin with those observant eyes—it did nothing to help.

“You can do better than that, can’t you?” Jeongguk nipped just a little at his thigh, teasing the omega and giving him a hint of what he could do. He lifted a single, dark brow. “Beg me to bite you.”

Biting down on his swollen bottom lip, Jimin whined and squirmed in the alpha’s hold again. “J-Jeongguk.”

All at once, the alpha moved up—his waist between Jimin’s legs—as he came face-to-face with the omega again. With one arm propped on the arm of the couch, he held eye contact with the omega and checked, “You need to let me know if you’re not okay with this.”

Jimin’s next exhale was shaky. He shook his head immediately. “No, I’m—I’m okay with it. I just…”

With his free hand, the alpha gently stroked Jimin’s cheek. His eyes narrowed. “Is it too much? You have to tell me. With your scent being the way it is, it’s hard to—”

“No, I… I’ll let you know if I don’t like something.” The omega looked away, cheeks flushing with embarrassment. “I just… I haven’t done something like this in a while, so…”

“Do you want me to go easier on you?”

Another head shake. “No.”

At that, the alpha’s expression darkened. He hummed and bent forward, kissing him once more. When he drew back, he held either side of Jimin’s face and said, “Okay. In that case, start begging.”

Jimin whimpered, shifting senselessly underneath him in a futile attempt to relieve the tension building.

Their noses brushed together. Jeongguk muttered, “Beg me, or I’m not giving you what you want.”

Deciding to toss his dignity out of the window, Jimin gave the alpha his best pleading eyes and shamelessly voiced, “Please, Jeongguk. Please bite me. I-I need it.”

“Oh, you need it?” The alpha chuckled. Jimin’s flush travelled down his neck at the degrading tone, but, beneath his underwear, more slick dripped out.

“Yeah. Please,” Jimin said in a pitiful tone.

It earned him Jeongguk returning to his earlier position; between Jimin’s legs, caressing and grabbing him while he ghosted his mouth along the inside of one of his thighs. He angled his gaze up and found Jimin’s eyes again. “You need to let me know how hard you want it. Stop me when it’s too much.”

Jimin’s dick pulsed with anticipation. Fuck, he wanted it so much. Why did he want this so much? “Okay…”

Jeongguk kissed sweetly against his skin and then hovered at that spot. “Marks?”

“As long as it’s not my neck, it’s okay,” Jimin permitted.

Jeongguk hummed. “That’s a lot of places.” He nipped gently, teasing the omega again. His voice pitched down when he said, “I could do so much to you.”

Jimin’s head spun, and he gripped hard at the fabric of the couch, overheating with need and trying to pay attention. He didn’t know why, but he just had to see it—wanted to witness the moment the alpha bared down on his delicate skin. He was close to going crazy if he didn’t just do it already. “J-Jeongguk, please—”

“Shh. I know,” he reassured. To distract him, Jeongguk slid his other hand up and rubbed over the omega’s hard-on, gently stroking up and down and giving him friction for the first time since they started this.

“Oh, god,” Jimin said in a single breath, bucking his hips up into the touch and fighting hard to keep his eyes from slipping shut. Everything felt too much and not enough all at once. The television was still quietly playing in the background, and the extra noise was only adding to the intensity of the moment. He was already overly sensitive, and his heat hadn’t even begun yet. What was happening to him?

“Be still for me,” Jeongguk told him, and then finally, finally bit down on the delicate part of Jimin’s thigh. A broken moan tumbled out of the omega’s mouth, and he fought hard to remain as still as possible. The alpha wasn’t gentle and didn’t go easy on him. Slowly but surely, he bit harder, digging his canines into the plush, soft flesh and continuing to bite deeper as sounds of pleasure escaped the omega, one after another.

The moment Jimin saw him bite down, his eyes rolled back, and he dropped into the couch, succumbing to the painful pleasure. It felt delicious. It was setting every inch of his body ablaze. He tucked his bottom lip between his teeth and tried to hold back any more noises, but the pitiful whimpers still got out.

Jeongguk stroked him through his clothes the entire time, offering him a reprieve from the pain. When he started threatening to draw blood, and the omega still didn’t stop him, he made the call not to go any harder. Jimin’s leg shook in his hold and, after a moment, he finally drew back and licked over the mark, making Jimin keen high in his throat.

“Good,” he praised, making the omega sigh. He peppered more sweet, wet kisses to his skin. “No more for now. I don’t want you to get overwhelmed.”

‘Too late,’ Jimin wanted to say, but bit his tongue.

“Besides…” Jeongguk trailed up and took his hand off the omega’s hard cock. A complaint sat on the roof of Jimin’s mouth, but, before he could get it out, Jeongguk gripped the hem of his underwear and tugged, making his intentions clear. “I get the feeling you want me somewhere else more.”

Jimin easily lifted his hips, eager to cooperate. “Mm. Please.”

“You’re so polite all of a sudden,” Jeongguk pointed out, lips turned up at one corner. He worked the omega’s underwear down and over the curve of his plump ass, then down his legs. “Just needed a little guidance, huh?” 

Once his underwear was off, Jeongguk tossed them onto the rug beside the couch, not looking away from Jimin’s freshly exposed skin once as he did it. Dark eyes trailed all over the omega’s pale, soft body, taking in every single inch. Jimin’s cock was red at the tip and resting hard against his navel. Glistening slick was visible between his legs, and, feeling put on display, Jimin’s hole clenched unconsciously.

Jeongguk’s jaw tensed as he stared. He looked like a predator ready to pounce.

Jimin’s omega preened under the attention, loving the feeling of being desired after going so long without.

The alpha dipped down and ran a hand through Jimin’s hair, the other hand sneaking down his stomach, slowly getting closer to his leaking cock. He muttered, “You just need to be shown how to be good again, don’t you?”

Sparks flickered from deep inside Jimin, a fire threatening to rekindle—remnants of something from a long, long time ago. He whined, shifting his hips to try to get the alpha to touch him where he needed it most.

“Whining isn’t an answer,” Jeongguk told him. He grabbed the omega’s face again—two fingers digging into one cheek while his thumb pressed into the other—and guided him to look at him with easy command. “Tell me, Jimin.”

Panting with desperation, the omega was still squirming when he tried, “I-I don’t know how to—”

“It’s simple.” Jeongguk forced his head to the side, lips brushing against the shell of his ear. At the same time, his hand teased just above the head of his cock, not quite touching yet. “Just say, ‘Please train me, alpha.’”

At the title used, Jimin grew more wet, completely unable to stop his reactions at this point. Jeongguk, politely, didn’t point it out, despite both of them clearly smelling the rose scent getting more intense by the second.

Jeongguk drew back and looked at him. He raised an expectant brow as he traced his fingers right around the head of the omega’s length. He was so close to actually touching that Jimin could feel the warmth of his fingers ghosting along his cock, and it was driving him crazy to have him close without actually touching. 

He would do almost anything to get what he wanted. So, he pouted his lips and said, “Please, t-train me, Jeon—”

“Uh-uh,” the alpha chastised, clicking his tongue. “That’s not what I said, is it?”

Humiliation crawled up Jimin’s spine, but more slick leaked out, making it apparent that he wasn't actually bothered by any of this—hot and bothered was more accurate. Even so, the omega could see something through Jeongguk’s hard exterior. There was a flicker of something soft and inviting in his gaze, something that told Jimin he could always back out if he wasn’t comfortable.

But Jimin was comfortable—Jeongguk was doing a good job at making him feel that way. In turn, it was easy for him to suck up his pride in the end.

“P-please train me, a-alpha,” he finally begged. He arched his back again, still craving attention.

“Good,” Jeongguk praised in a sweet tone, drawing out the word. He threaded his fingers through the omega’s hair and kissed him hard as a reward. That meant that the alpha swallowed all of Jimin’s moans as they came tumbling out of his mouth because, the second the omega pleaded with him, there was a big, warm hand wrapped around his cock, jerking him off. Jeongguk broke off to mutter, “Good boy.”

Jimin’s eyes slipped shut, and he whimpered, trying to keep up with the quick, messy way the alpha was kissing him. It was clear he was matching the pace of his mouth with the way he was touching Jimin; fast, rough, and dirty. The omega had gone from having absolutely no stimulation to having too much of it at one time. It was enough to have him falling apart in the alpha’s hold instantly, moaning brokenly against his mouth with every swipe of Jeongguk’s thumb just under the head of his cock, and every slight twist of the alpha’s wrist to squeeze him in just the right way.

“J-Jeongguk—”

“What?” The alpha asked against his mouth, words dripping with condescension. “This is what you wanted, isn’t it?”

Jimin’s mind went fuzzy. He was absolutely losing it. This was everything and, at the same time, light years beyond what he thought he was going to get when Jeongguk said yes. Heat was curling low in his abdomen and, already, he felt ready to burst at the seams.

“Y-Yes, but—” Jimin tried but couldn’t even finish the sentence. He was cut off by his own small whimper against the alpha’s mouth when Jeongguk suddenly changed his grip, stroking him in deeper, rougher movements.

“But what?” Jeongguk asked, though it was obvious he didn’t expect much of an answer. He was making the omega come undone on purpose, and, for every pretty little sound that passed his lips, Jimin could only imagine that he felt more and more victorious. The alpha chuckled when the omega just started panting, unable to complete what he was attempting to tell him. “Can’t speak? Come on, just nod for me—Do you want me to stop?”

With the grip in the omega’s hair, Jeongguk pulled Jimin back, his dark eyes trained on him as he quivered underneath him, overrun with pleasure. Jimin’s head shake was vehement. The message was clear, too. Even if he hadn't moved his head in indication, Jeongguk could have understood exactly what he wanted from his face alone. His half-lidded eyes, his flushed cheeks, the blonde hair dampened at his forehead from sweat—they were begging the alpha to keep going.

Jeongguk hummed and kissed his temple. Jimin pressed closer to the sweet touch, needy for anything he would offer him at this point. Distantly, Jimin thought about how out of the ordinary it was that he was coming apart this quickly—and with an alpha, no less. Even so, he wasn’t in a position to question it right now, so he simply cried out when Jeongguk’s hand sped up, each stroke made slicker now with the pre-cum coating his fingers that had been steadily leaking out of the omega for several minutes.

“Good. Take what I give you, then.” Jeongguk analyzed the omega, keeping a close eye on his facial expressions, on every twitch and jerk of his body, on the little pulses his cock made.

And then, the heat coiling tightly reached its peak. Jimin’s bitten lips parted, and, just as his tongue sat on the cusp of a warning, the alpha lowered to catch him in another greedy kiss. Between the wet smack of lips urged by Jimin’s eager noises, Jeongguk’s deep, smooth voice came again.

“I know you’re close. I can feel it.” Jimin made a high, keening sound in answer, and the alpha sealed the pathetic note with another kiss. “Come for me. Come on. Make a mess all over yourself. Come—”

Jimin’s back arched impossibly, and every muscle in his body tensed. His slick-covered hole clenched around nothing, and he whimpered in upset at being empty. With a fresh wave of heat surging through his body, he grabbed onto anything he could—small hands reaching for the alpha’s bare arm and side—and he released a silent cry as his orgasm came crashing over him.

Jeongguk stroked him through it, kissing all over his face and muttering praises while the omega felt pleasure unlike anything he had felt in a long time. Thick, hot ropes of cum shot out from his reddened tip and landed on his pale stomach, making him messy.

“That’s it. Good boy. Let it out. So good for me.”

By the time it finally stopped, Jimin was letting out short-breathed, tiny sounds, his eyes on the ceiling—vision cloudy—as he rode his high. He felt too hot all over, and his legs were shaking from the force of the orgasm.

Jeongguk finally let go of his cock and picked up his own discarded shirt, using it as a rag to wipe off his hand and the cum from the omega’s body. He threw it back on the ground after and leaned down, trying to hover over Jimin so he wouldn’t hurt him with the weight of his body. Once there, he kissed him sweetly, telling him, “You did so well.”

Jimin wrapped his arms around the alpha’s broad shoulders and kissed back lazily, still trying to recover his breathing. Jeongguk gave him time to do so and rested there patiently, one of his forearms holding himself up while the other caressed down Jimin’s side.

After several minutes, the omega blinked and tried to focus his gaze. Dark eyes met his, and Jeongguk’s lips turned up on one side in a casual smile, his expression softening. Quietly, he asked, “Feel any better?”

The omega nodded, not feeling like putting forth the effort to speak right now. Jeongguk didn’t seem to mind. He simply hummed and reached up, pressing the cool back of his hand to the side of Jimin’s face. “You’re really warm. I’d say one more, and you should be there.”

At that, the omega’s eyebrows drew together. His lips pouted and, when the alpha noticed his reaction, he laughed.

“O-One more?” Jimin asked, wanting to understand more than he wanted to rest his voice after how much he… used it just now.

The hand that was petting the omega’s side slipped down slowly, Jeongguk’s fingers teased along his hip and down his thigh, dipping closer to the center. He watched Jimin as he told him, “One more orgasm.”

A pitiful whimper escaped the omega. At the same time, his spent cock—which had been resting against his navel with ruminants of cum leaking from the tip—twitched with need. He held eye contact with the alpha as he easily spread his legs again, welcoming the attention.

Jeongguk smirked at the move, raising his brows in surprise. His hand slipped between Jimin’s legs and, teasingly, he let a single finger press between his cheeks, collecting slick. He continued until the pad of his middle finger was pressed against Jimin’s tight, neglected hole, finally offering it a bit of reprieve. The omega hummed happily at the contact, shifting his hips down for more. “You just came, and you’re already spreading your legs for more. Not even in heat yet, and you’re still this greedy.”

Jimin bit down hard on his bottom lip, shaking his head at the comment. “N-No.”

“No?” Jeongguk kissed him. “But it’s true. I’ve hardly touched you, but you’re dripping everywhere already. You’re going to be a handful, aren’t you?”

The omega frowned but didn’t say anything. He knew he could get bratty or needy, but the alpha didn’t need to know that. It seemed his pout was enough, however, because Jeongguk just laughed and said, “Come on. Let’s move this somewhere better.”

Jimin sat up, prepared to show the alpha the way to his bedroom. But before his bare feet could even touch the soft rug on the ground, hands were cupping under his thighs, and he was picked up—lifted straight into the air. The slick from between his legs slipped down the curve of his ass and down his thighs, getting all over the alpha’s hands. Jeongguk, though, didn’t seem to care as he moved them away from the couch, holding Jimin up like it was nothing.

The omega’s eyes went wide, and he scrambled to lock his arms around the back of the alpha’s neck, not wanting to fall. His legs crossed at the ankles at Jeongguk’s back and, with an easy smile, Jeongguk checked, “This okay?”

Fresh arousal coursed through Jimin’s veins. He had such a thing for being manhandled—not that there was any way Jeongguk could have known that. He nodded. “More than.”

After getting approval, the alpha quickly stopped at the side table to turn the TV off and then began walking out of the living room, heading straight for the hallway. Jimin quickly told him, “The bedroom is—”

“First door to the… right, I assume?”

“How’d you guess that?”

Jeongguk laughed. “I realized our layouts are exactly the opposite, so…”

Jimin smiled. “Ah.”

“Mhm,” the alpha said and then—one-handed—twisted the doorknob and opened the door, walking them into Jimin’s bedroom. It was nothing special: a bookshelf, desk, his bed, a television on one side, and some paintings on the wall. He had a single window and a door for his closet. The only thing really worth noting was that his entire bed had been turned into the perfect nest. He spent hours that day and the day prior building it in preparation for his heat.

As they walked in, he couldn't help but blush at the knowledge that Jeongguk was seeing it. Nests were private, and to an omega, extremely intimate.

Shockingly, he didn’t feel distressed over the thought of an alpha he hardly knew being near it—just nervous.

Jeongguk came to a stop in front of the bed. Jimin was looking away the entire time, knowing the alpha was assessing the nest. He didn’t know what he was expecting, but it certainly wasn’t for Jeongguk to place a kiss on his temple and praise in a soft tone, “Your nest is incredible.”

Their gazes finally met as Jimin looked over. Jeongguk’s expression was one of sincerity, so the omega relaxed, breathing out, “Thank you.”

“Of course,” Jeongguk told him. He sifted his hold slightly, making sure he was still holding on tight since his hands were slippery from—

Jimin’s face went bright red.

Jeongguk didn’t even look phased. “The question is… are you gonna allow me to get inside of it with you?”

The omega’s lips pursed, and he made a contemplative face, glancing back and forth between Jeongguk and the bed. Eventually, he looked at the alpha and nodded.

“You’re sure?” Jeongguk lifted a brow. Jimin nodded again, and the alpha made a sound of acknowledgement and then—ever so gently—bent forward and placed Jimin in the middle of the mattress. Subtly, the omega shifted some pillows that moved and adjusted a blanket that slipped, meticulous about the order of everything despite knowing it would eventually get ruined.

Jeongguk lingered by the side of the bed, waiting for Jimin to finish. It was only after he was done that Jimin glanced over and noticed the alpha was still there. His cheeks—which had only just returned to their normal color—turned a peachy shade, and he tucked his legs under himself, giving the other man a questioning glance.

“Omega,” Jeongguk started, sending sparks through Jimin’s core at the use of his title. He tilted his head, asking, “Can I get in your nest with you?”

Jimin felt a little embarrassed over him asking, but was also endeared because it was clear he didn’t want to overstep. Feeling comfortable, he nodded. “Yes.”

With utmost care, the alpha got into the bed beside him, shifting slowly so he didn’t mess anything up. It was then that Jimin realized the alpha was still dressed from the waist down, while the omega sat there completely bare.

The thoughts had him glancing down at the alpha’s sweatpants. They were tented at the front still, and the bulge there was… big.

Jimin bit down on his bottom lip, battling with whether or not to ask Jeongguk to take the rest of his clothes off. Part of him liked that he felt so exposed as the only one undressed, but the other part of him was itching to see what the alpha’s sculpted v-line was pointing to.

“What are you thinking about?” Jeongguk suddenly asked, tone teasing.

The omega’s attention snapped back, and he stuttered, caught off guard, “U-Uh, nothing…”

The alpha raised a single, dark brow. “You’re staring at my pants, and you’re thinking about nothing? Now I’m offended.”

Jimin moved back to sit with his knees pulled up—his arms wrapped around them—attempting to cover the fact that he was getting hard again. He gave the alpha an up-and-down glance and then completely dodged the line of questioning by asking something of his own.

“Are you going to keep talking, or are you going to do something?”

Jeongguk’s teeth flashed when he smirked. “Someone’s impatient.”

“I’m in heat,” Jimin argued, eyes narrowing.

“Not quite.” With a light-hearted chuckle, the alpha casually sat up straighter in the bed and asked, “What positions do you like?”

“For what?”

Jeongguk held his gaze. “For me to open you up to take my knot.”

Jimin’s lips pursed, and he squirmed in his spot, hoping delusionally that the alpha couldn’t smell his arousal. “U-Um… I can be on my stomach?”

“So, get there,” Jeongguk said, gesturing with his head for the omega to do exactly that. Jimin’s cock—now fully hard, again—pulsed with need. He had no idea why the alpha talking like that turned him on, but he also didn’t have the capacity to question it right now.

Trying to get over the humiliation of putting himself on display like this, he flipped over and—with as much grace in a situation like this as he could muster—lowered himself until he was lying on his stomach. He rested his head on his folded arms, and laid so his legs were together. The natural arch of his back meant that his ass was poking out, the soft curve of it a tempting sight, especially when paired with the small of his waist and the thickness of his thighs. Batting his eyelashes, he looked over at the alpha, pleased to see that those dark eyes were already raking up and down the omega’s body like he couldn’t get enough.

Jimin bit back a little grin. He knew he looked good like this. He felt good, too. He was at the perfect angle for his cock to be pinned between his own abdomen and the sheets, and the softness of the cool silk was pleasurable against his hot, sensitive body.

He could clearly see where Jeongguk’s own heavy cock was still outlining his pants, and it was doing nothing to put the desperation clawing inside of the omega at bay. They needed to hurry this along—Jimin needed to hurry this along, for no other reason than his own greed and his omega screaming at him to get the alpha as close as humanly possible.

So, he arched his back more, trying his best to tease the alpha. And, in a soft tone, he asked, “Like this?”

Almost imperceptibly, Jeongguk’s expression darkened, and the line of his jaw tightened. “Yeah. Like that.”

Victory was a racing sensation in the omega’s veins, but it died just as quickly as it came into existence because, in the next second, Jeongguk was lowering himself to where Jimin was. Hovering over the omega’s body, his exhale was warm on Jimin’s shoulder. Shivering, the omega went perfectly still with anticipation, and then practically melted the moment lips touched his searing skin. Slowly and deliberately, Jeongguk placed kisses along the width of his shoulders before slipping down his spine.

“So soft,” came the alpha’s mutter against Jimin’s body. Biting down on his bottom lip hard enough to draw blood, the omega suppressed a whimper at the alpha’s words and at the sweet caress of his mouth. “Pretty, too.”

The kisses got sloppier and rougher as they went, leaving spit to shine on the omega’s spine in the dim light offered by the sunlight coming in through the window to the side, as the alpha got lower and lower, and started using his tongue to further tease Jimin.

Lowering his body, Jeongguk’s big hands found the back of the omega’s thighs, and Jimin sighed as he began kneading the muscle there. At the same time, he passed the dip of the omega’s spine and stopped kissing momentarily in favor of dragging his nose further down and to the side. Once he reached the fat of the side of Jimin’s ass, he placed another kiss.

Needy at him being so close, Jimin’s lips parted for a pitched noise to pass through. “A-Ah.”

The alpha’s hands slowly dragged up until he was cupping the fat just under Jimin’s ass, touching and teasing. He kissed along the delicate, plush skin, moving from one side to the other, pecking at first and then letting each one get more open-mouthed and sloppy. Jimin’s legs squeezed together as more slick dripped out.

He was literally worshipping the omega’s body.

No one had ever done something like this before; taken time to show Jimin’s body the passion that Jeongguk was now, and they hardly even knew one another.

“Jeongguk,” he said lightly, pressing up into the contact. “I need more.”

“I know,” the alpha told him. Then, he bit down on the spot he had previously been kissing, making the omega hiss in pain. The sensation was harsh and delicious, and fuck, he wanted more of it. Instead of simply letting go, Jeongguk lightened up, still biting, and didn’t stop until the omega literally whimpered and his legs began to shake. After the alpha released, he licked over the brutal bite mark and laughed airily. “That’s definitely going to leave a mark.”

Jimin’s rose scent spiked. Jeongguk sat up, knees on either side of the omega’s body, and his rough, warm hands finally reached up and cupped Jimin’s ass. His fingers dug in as he massaged the plump flesh, and he let out a gruff, pleased sound at the same time that the omega whined, squirming under his touch, the spot where he bit aching.

“You’re being too obvious,” Jeongguk stated, voice velvety with lust. “I can smell how much you want that.”

“Already told you I like it,” Jimin argued, brows knitted together as his eyes slipped shut. He focused on the feeling of being touched the way he had needed. It felt so good, but it still wasn’t nearly enough.

“Like it, sure…” the alpha took one hand off his ass in favor of planting it beside the omega’s head, leaning over him while he continued caressing him with the other one. He kissed Jimin’s temple and teased, “But there’s a difference between liking something and being desperate for it, and I can tell that you’re the latter.” He kissed a little lower—right against the omega’s cheek. The hand on Jimin’s ass slipped closer to where the omega wanted him; the tips of his fingers gathering slick as they slowly traveled between his legs.

Jimin wanted to protest, but, with another kiss to the side of his face, the pad of Jeongguk’s middle finger rubbed against his tight, soaked hole, and he moaned, pushing his ass back against the touch, his hands curling into fists in the sheets.

Jeongguk chuckled, and when Jimin pressed his cheek into the mattress and stared up at him, he was met with the sight of the handsome alpha already watching him. His black hair was falling into his face, and the silver necklace hanging off his neck was dangling right in front of Jimin’s face. When their gazes met, Jeongguk smiled—something sweet and genuine—a stark contrast to his finger circling the omega’s rim, teasing him by applying pressure but never quite sinking in.

“Hi,” Jimin said stupidly, smiling back.

The alpha laughed. “Hi, there.”

“Finger me?”

Jeongguk snored and then darted his tongue out to run across his bottom lip. The sight was so charming that Jimin had to bite back his own grin. It broke the tension, replacing the atmosphere with something light-hearted and easy. The omega sucked in a deep breath, feeling a little more at ease than he had been before. But, luckily, every ounce of the need remained.

The tip of the alpha’s middle finger finally pressed in, and Jimin made a happy little noise, holding eye contact with Jeongguk. The alpha watched his reaction carefully, and surprise was evident on both of their faces as—a second later, with no resistance—Jeongguk’s finger easily slipped in all the way. When knuckles met Jimin’s ass, the omega whimpered and rocked his hips back, a silent plea for more.

His finger was so long and thick, and reached much further than Jimin could with his own. Aside from toys, he hadn’t had anything this deep inside in years—and it was just his finger.

Jeongguk drew the digit back at a snail’s pace and then pushed in all the way again, slick making the motion simple.

“You’re so wet. So ready for something more to fill you already,” Jeongguk muttered, leaning down so that their hot breaths mingled. Jimin’s eyes slipped shut as his finger crooked, rubbing adamantly against his walls. “Bet I wouldn’t even need to finger you.”

The sound that passed Jimin’s lips was unabashed and loud. It obviously wasn’t true. Wet or not, heat or not—prep was always vital. But the thought of it—

Fuck, it was so hot.

Everything only got better when the alpha placed a simple, teasing peck on his mouth before drawing back to say, “I could probably just slip right inside. You’d take all of me, wouldn’t you?”

“Yeah,” Jimin revealed easily, word breaking on a pathetic little mewl as Jeongguk started moving in and out at a steady pace, making sure the omega felt each ridge of his knuckle, every rub against his walls—everything. He let his body relax and sink into the bed, eager to give in to the addictive sensation. Underneath, his dick was trapped against the sheets, and he shifted his hips subtly, trying to get friction on both sides.

But Jeongguk had other plans. He sat up and pressed down hard on the small of the omega’s back with his spare hand, making him go completely still while his middle finger rocked faster. Jimin whined in both annoyance and pleasure as he was forced to take what he was given, his face flushing at the sick, wet sound on every thrust in and out—his slick making everything slippery.

“You’ll get to come again when I tell you to,” Jeongguk said with an air of finality.

“Fuck,” Jimin swore, biting down so hard on his plump bottom lip that it was a miracle he didn’t draw blood. He listened for the most part, but couldn’t help how—every few seconds—he squirmed as he was fingered, too desperate for more to pay attention to the way he was moving. “A-Another.”

“Ask me nicely.”

Another whine of embarrassment escaped, but Jimin was far beyond the point of caring about his pride enough to hold back. “Please, give me another.”

“That’s more like it,” Jeongguk said, tone dripping in sweet condescension. Before he even finished the sentence, the tip of another finger was rubbing along Jimin’s rim, applying pressure to test if he could take it. Easily, it pressed past the initial tight ring of muscle and joined the first. A low groan left the alpha at the same time that Jimin let out a pitched whine.

With much less tentativeness than before, Jeongguk worked both fingers deeper inside in tandem. When his movements were only met with pleasurable sighs from Jimin, he began thrusting steadily again, the pace slowly building back up as the omega adjusted, his hole relaxing and opening itself up around the intrusion.

Jeongguk’s wide hand remained cautiously placed on the omega’s lower back—much to Jimin’s dismay. The alpha kept him exactly where he wanted him and fingered him as he liked, quickly adapting based on the reactions the omega offered him.

It threw Jimin for a loop, a little bit—how fast of a learner Jeongguk was. He didn’t have to explicitly tell him what he wanted or what he didn’t like—Jeongguk figured it all out on his own.

When he crooked his fingers inside and pressed hard against Jimin’s inner walls, the omega made a pitiful noise and tried wiggling his hips, so Jeongguk started doing that more and more. And the first time the alpha made the thrusts shallow and quick rather than deep and thorough was also his last time doing it; Jimin whined unhappily, and Jeongguk chuckled, shushed him as he resumed his earlier pace, and never did it again.

He used the information he gathered to work Jimin up and teased the omega by not allowing him to release the tension building low in his abdomen. By the time he started stretching him out with three fingers, Jimin was a writhing, whimpering mess on top of the sheets.

Jeongguk’s fingers were spreading him so wide—even further, too, when he parted them to stretch the omega out more. He was thrusting fast and rough, keeping each motion deep. He would rub the pads of his fingers just below where Jimin wanted them the most, and, after so many times of him getting so close only to draw back, the omega finally cried out in a plea for more.

“P-Please, just—” Jimin’s voice cracked, tears suddenly brimming in his eyes. He was hot—too hot. He needed to come; he needed more. He needed Jeongguk. Everything was too much. His cock was hard and trapped, his hole was greedy for more, and it felt like he couldn’t think anymore. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying hard to hold back his desperation. “Please, please.”

“What? Hm?” Jeongguk asked, tone mocking as the omega writhed beneath him. “What are you trying to beg for?”

Jimin groaned, petulant and horny. He complained, “You know.”

A deep chuckle. “I don’t know anything unless you tell me.”

“Please, let me c-come,” he sobbed, stuttering.

“I’m not stopping you.”

The omega cried out, his chest tightening as the need to orgasm clawed at him. “Y-You are. L-Let me—Please, let me—” He shifted his hips again—as much as he could, at least, with the way the alpha was still pressing him down—trying to signal to him what he wanted.

“Oh, that?” Jeongguk asked passively, as if it slipped his mind. Jimin thought he would finally let up, but instead, he only pushed down harder. The omega wailed, unable to move at all now. “Yeah. You’re not coming that way.”

“T-Then, how?” Jimin was confused and lost, feeling small and hot to the touch under the alpha. A small, secret part of him adored the way it felt, even if he wasn’t in a place right now to openly admit that. “I can’t—”

“You can, and you will,” Jeongguk told him, voice stern. Jimin made a defeated sound, and the alpha dove down to softly kiss his temple again. The gentle moment was a stark contrast to all three of his fingers fucking Jimin’s wet, sloppy hole simultaneously. In a lower, softer tone, he checked in, “You’re going to try for me, aren’t you?”

Jimin felt so safe at that moment. He knew that, despite the talk, if he responded again that he couldn’t, the alpha would drop everything and let him lift his hips. No doubt, without a second thought, he would bring the omega to orgasm.

And, somehow, that made Jimin want to try for him. He had never reached his climax from fingering alone. Past partners never tried; he couldn’t keep the stamina when using toys and would eventually just give up and touch himself, and his own fingers weren’t nearly deep enough to reach how he needed them to. Now? Despite his apprehension, a part of him thought it might be possible—no matter how out of reach it seemed before.

Jeongguk made him feel that way.

So, he sniffled and nodded, agreeing to try.

A sweet, proud sound left the alpha—something low and gravely. He kissed the omega’s face again and purred, “Good boy.”

All at once, the teasing stopped. Jeongguk’s wrist shifted, and he was suddenly much deeper than he had been before. His fingers pressed up, and Jimin inhaled so sharply that it scratched the back of his throat. When Jeongguk doubled down and rubbed right against that same spot on the next thrust in, Jimin cried out—a sound loud and broken.

“Oh my god,” he hiccupped, the tears he had been holding back flooding down his cheeks now without him being able to stop them. Pleasure unlike anything he had ever felt before flooded through him, and electricity seemed to touch every cell in his body. “F-Fuck—”

“Come on, that’s it,” Jeongguk encouraged, his own voice rough with arousal. He sounded nearly as out of breath as the omega did, and Jimin’s dick pulsed at the idea that the alpha was that worked up over the sight of him—the thought that he found this as hot as Jimin did. He fucked the omega on his fingers as hard as he could, the pressure on Jimin’s prostate unforgiving now that he was touching it. “Found your special little spot, didn’t I? Looks like you’re about to fall apart. Are you about to come?”

It was too much. Jimin’s head was spinning behind his eyelids. He felt heavy and featherlight at the same time, somehow. The heat in his core was curling in on itself, getting denser by the second, like he was rolling up a ball of yarn. Everything reached a precipice when the alpha pushed down on his low back with purpose, multiplying the pressure as he finger-fucked him, not willing to let up on his swollen prostate.

Rose and vetiver were the only things Jimin could smell, and his slick was coating the alpha’s hand and between his legs. He was sure it was all over the sheets now, too.

And fuck, he was really going to come.

“G-Gonna—J-Jeongguk. Alpha, I’m gonna—” Jimin cut himself off with a mewl as hot, thick tears rolled down his face. “O-Oh—P-Please—”

“Come, omega,” Jeongguk commanded. “Right now. Come for me.”

That was the tipping point. White-hot pleasure rushed through Jimin. His mouth opened, but no sound escaped as his entire body went completely still. 

“That’s it,” the alpha praised. “Good boy. So fucking good for me.”

A strangled, high keening noise passed the omega’s lips. Jeongguk’s fingers continued rocking into him at a rapid pace, and he continued milking his prostate as white ropes of cum shot out from his trapped, needy cock, leaking all of Jimin’s own body and the silk sheets.

Jimin dragged out a swear, his body shaking as he experienced the waves of his orgasm. It lasted for what felt like forever, but, realistically, could have only been about fifteen seconds. It was more intense than the first one—whether because it was from internal stimulation alone, or because it was the second orgasm in an hour, Jimin didn’t know and, frankly, didn’t care.

All he knew was that, when the alpha finally stopped thrusting and gently—carefully—slipped his slick-covered fingers out, the omega’s entire body sank into the bed. He felt boneless and exhausted.

He didn’t even realize he was letting out tiny, pathetic sounds one after the other until Jeongguk gently shushed him. “Shh, it’s okay. You did so well for me, Jimin. You were perfect.”

Jimin couldn’t even speak. He just hummed, soft and happy. The sound intensified when—after quickly wiping his hands off on the already soiled sheets—Jeongguk scooped him up in his arms and lied down with him. The omega’s face was tucked into the alpha’s neck, and he was pressed into his side firmly.

They rested there for several minutes, catching their breath and calming their heart rates. All the while, lips found their way to the top of Jimin’s head, and the alpha quietly praised him: “Good boy,” “Took everything so well,” “Sweet omega”.

Fatigue weighed Jimin’s body down. He was still sniffling, still recovering after all of the tears he shed during his overwhelming fit of pleasure. He could hear Jeongguk’s heart beating and, with every slow thud, his body got heavier.

In minutes, he was on the cusp of passing out. As if sensing it, Jeongguk whispered, “Rest. You’ll be in heat when you wake up, and I’ll take care of you.” Another kiss to his head. “I promise.”

Believing and trusting in those words, Jimin allowed himself to relax.

He was asleep in seconds.

Hot. Scolding hot all over.

That was the first thought Jimin had when he came to.

“You’re awake,” a gentle voice muttered somewhere nearby. He heard shifting, felt sweat run down his temple, and then a cool hand was on the nape of his neck. His eyes blinked open as he was raised into a sitting position in the middle of his bed. 

Then, there were low, soft words.

“Open.” He felt the sensation of something being pressed to his lips.

His vision was blurry as he listened, opening his mouth to allow cold, refreshing water to enter. It felt like heaven going down his dry throat, and he hummed gratefully.

“There you go. Now, lie back down—Careful. There you go.”

At the same time that Jimin’s head met the soft plushness of one of his pillows, his eyes finally adjusted to the darkness in the room, and he was able to see the figure sitting up beside him in the bed. The glow of the moon was coming in from the window by his bed, casting soft light and shadows over the man’s face. The scolding heat that seemed to plague him got worse once the recognition washed over him.

“J-Jeongguk,” he said, a hand finding the alpha’s thigh. He gripped the fabric of the sweatpants that were still clinging to his hips. His brows furrowed, his lips turning down. “I’m—It’s so hot.”

The alpha smiled with something soft and understanding. He reached out and gently brushed the damp, blonde hair off the omega’s sweaty forehead. “I know it is. You’re in your first wave.”

Jimin just blinked at him, swallowing thickly. He shifted senselessly on the bed. All of the relaxation he felt moments prior abandoned him, and a restlessness sank in to replace it.

“Are you still here with me?” Jeongguk checked. Those observant eyes flickered between Jimin’s own hooded ones. “Do you still want this?”

He nodded, feeling unable to do much more.

“Okay,” the alpha mumbled. He leaned down and placed a sweet kiss on his bare forehead. “I’m going to take care of you, then. Just try to relax for me, alright?”

“C-Can’t,” Jimin managed. He squirmed some more, shoving the blankets further away from his legs. He felt like he was overheating. Everything was too overstimulating—everything except the alpha’s touch, anyway. He took in how broad and capable Jeongguk looked, and his omega howled somewhere within him, crying out for more. 

In an instant, fresh slick dribbled out from his stretched hole. He tried to clench, but couldn’t stop it from staining the sheets underneath his body. They were different from the ones Jimin had on before, and something inside of him felt pleased knowing that the alpha was taking care of him even as he slept. He gasped at the feeling of getting wet so quickly, and the fist on Jeongguk’s pants went white-knuckled. “I need—”

“I know,” Jeongguk reassured. 

He shifted back and off the bed—moving carefully so he didn’t mess the nest up. Jimin whined in protest, his hands flopping pathetically onto the mattress. The alpha raised a brow at him, his fingers going to the strings of his sweatpants. He started carelessly undoing them and said, “I’m coming back in a second, angel. Breathe.”

Internally, Jimin wanted to protest. But, on the outside, his omega was dictating his behavior right now—his wolf was calling the shots. And an alpha just told him to breathe, so—without much thought—he sucked in a deep bout of air and held it, before exhaling slowly. His heart rate steadied just a little, and Jeongguk smiled sweetly at him, tilting his head. “You’re so good at listening.”

The praise went right to Jimin’s head. He bit down on his plump bottom lip and wiggled around on the bed, anxiously pressing his legs together like it would help alleviate some of the tension. It didn’t. And, in fact, as the alpha tucked his thumbs into the waistband of his pants and began pulling them down with his underwear—maintaining eye contact the entire time—the tension only got more intense.

Rose permeated the dense air. When Jeongguk stepped out of the remainder of his clothing and stood there, Jimin finally let his gaze drop.

‘Big’ was the first word to come to mind. He was thick and long, and curved near the top. The head of the alpha’s cock was wide and flushed in a way that Jimin knew would feel sinful inside of him. His balls were heavy, his thighs thick and muscular.

And it wasn’t even just that—it was the way Jeongguk looked at him. As Jimin finally carried his eyes back up to the alpha’s face, he felt the arousal coil low in his stomach. Jeongguk’s shoulders were squared, his chin high, and he was looking at Jimin with this teasing glint in his eyes. He was almost cocky. His face said that he knew exactly what Jimin was thinking, what he wanted—and it said that he could give it all to the omega.

Jeongguk’s cock was big, and so it seemed was his confidence about the entire thing.

Funnily enough, both of those things together happened to be Jimin's biggest kryptonite.

“Finished staring?”

Jimin was past the point of shame. He shook his head, knowing damn well he would be trying to take in the way Jeongguk looked for far, far longer than this. It earned him a chuckle from the alpha, who planted one hand on the bed and leaned down, reaching out and taking Jimin’s ankle with the other. “Come here.”

With a sequel of surprise, the omega allowed himself to be tugged down the length of the bed. In intentional, careful movements, Jeongguk scooted some pillows and blankets aside to make room for both of them. He was still standing at the edge of the bed, and Jimin was on his back in front of him now, already half-hard at the sight of the alpha’s cock.

Jeongguk watched for Jimin’s reactions as he disrupted the nest and the omega allowed him to do it—since there was something he cared about much more right now—but that didn’t stop a quiet, unhappy sound from escaping him.

The alpha finished shifting the sheets and pillows and then caressed the omega’s legs. He bent down and sweetly kissed one of Jimin’s knees, muttering an apology. Once the unpleasantness left the omega’s scent and only arousal remained in his pheromones, Jeongguk let one hand drift lower. Maintaining eye contact, he slipped between Jimin’s legs and let his fingers press against the omega’s hole. Some slick was already wetting the area, and the second pressure was applied to the winking entrance, Jimin gasped, and more slick came rushing out.

Jeongguk hummed and thrust two fingers in without hesitation. The omega tossed his head back against the mattress and whined loudly.

Jimin was still prepped and ready from earlier, and they slipped in so easily. Jeongguk went deep and set a pace immediately, twisting his wrist to get a better angle. “You’re soaked already. Your omega’s begging for it.”

Without thinking, Jimin reached out and grabbed the alpha’s forearm—his other hand splaying out against his toned stomach—and he felt the way Jeongguk’s muscles flexed as he finger-fucked him, his pace steadily picking up. It felt incredible to have something inside of him again, and he was already shifting impatiently, desperate for more.

“I don’t need—”

Jeongguk cut him off by diving down to catch him in a kiss. Happily, Jimin sank into the affection, tilting his head to have the alpha kiss him thoroughly, already giving up on saying whatever it was he was trying to make a point about. When Jeongguk finally drew back, the omega blinked slowly and stared starry-eyed up at him as the alpha lifted a brow and said, “I didn’t ask for what you needed. I know what you need. I’m doing this because I want to. Are you starting to get it now?”

Biting down on his bottom lip, Jimin nodded. His back arched when, out of nowhere, Jeongguk inserted a third finger and began thrusting faster. The omega mewled high in the back of his throat as the alpha’s long, thick digits filled him up and stretched him out, making slick drips everywhere between them. There was a squelching sound to accompany every thrust, and Jimin’s cheeks were a permanent shade of red. The heat was really getting to him, and he needed Jeongguk inside of him now.

“Please,” he pleaded, trying to give the alpha his most pathetic expression to coax him into seizing his seemingly endless teasing.

Jeongguk tilted his head and smiled at Jimin like he was being funny. “Please what?”

This man was going to make him insane.

“Please, fuck me,” he finally begged, rocking his hips back into the alpha’s fingers as best as he could. “J-Jeongguk, please? I want to be full.”

There was a low, gravelly groan from the back of the alpha’s throat. In an instant, Jimin was empty again. He whined and shifted his hips in protest, but quit complaining when Jeongguk’s lips met his again in another messy, bruising kiss. The alpha spoke between the slick swap of their spit and the rough movement of their mouths, “Sure you can take it?”

“Mhm,” Jimin insisted. With the alpha’s body over his own, he pressed his legs to either side of him and rocked up, trying to draw attention to where he wanted it. He kissed harder too; sucked on the alpha’s bottom lip and tilted his head to make the kiss deeper, trying to somehow prove himself in it. From his head to his toes, he was overheating, and his omega was telling him the only thing that would offer any reprieve was Jeongguk—inside of him—now.

Jeongguk indulged him.

He lowered his hips and grinded between Jimin’s legs. His bare cock brushed against Jimin’s own, and the omega gasped into his open mouth, making the alpha smirk. Jeongguk did it again, making sure the motion was more solid the second time, making certain that their length rubbed together so that delicious friction shot through Jimin’s pulsing cock. “Oh, fuck.”

The alpha made a sound at the reaction and then caught Jimin’s mouth in another kiss. This time, instead of grinding against the omega’s own hard length, Jeongguk held himself up with a hand buried into the sheets beside Jimin’s head and, with the other, guided the flared tip of his cock to the omega’s winking hole. Jimin made a high, keening noise in a silent plea for him to put it in. But, of course, Jeongguk didn’t do that.

He rubbed the head of his cock up and down over Jimin’s prepped entrance, collecting slick and effectively coating himself in it. Their scents mingled together—accentuated by sweat—and the omega breathed it in deeply, addicted to the smell of an alpha in his space. A handsome and capable one at that. The wolf stirring inside of him was going insane with want—the need to claim and be claimed.

“Ask properly, and I’ll give you what you want,” Jeongguk promised him.

Dropping down into the mattress, Jimin leaned back to look into the dark, blown pupils of the alpha. He caressed his hands up the sides of his muscular body, enjoying how soft yet firm he was. Jeongguk’s brows were drawn together, and he maintained eye contact with the omega as he continued teasing them both—currently doing so by applying pressure to Jimin’s entrance before pulling back just before he could start slipping in, effectively driving the omega crazy. Sweat was already beginning to bead at Jimin’s forehead, and they’d hardly started.

“Jeongguk,” Jimin said in an airy tone. He tried to make his eyes big and pleading, working his hips down to entice the alpha in. He felt the thick tip of Jeongguk’s cock against his hole again and whimpered at the sensation. Despite the obvious desire in the alpha’s pheromones and Jimin’s heat, Jeongguk teased them both like he had all the time in the world—seemingly content to drag this out, to make Jimin wait.

That’s when the realization dawned on him.

Immediately, the omega switched tactics. He put an arm between their bodies and reached down, grabbing the alpha’s cock right above where Jeongguk himself was still holding it. His hand stopped just beneath his tip. Searching Jeongguk’s eyes, he squeezed the hard, veiny length once and felt warmth pool in his abdomen when the alpha’s jaw tightened.

With insistence, he guided the alpha’s cock to steady itself at his entrance, and scooted his own hips down, pressing the thick head to his fluttering, wet hole. “Alpha.”

That’s what it was—No more ‘Jeongguk’. If the way vetiver christened the air in that moment was anything to go by, Jeongguk had a clear interest in Jimin calling him by his title.

Jimin’s other hand dragged up to thread through the alpha’s thick, black hair, and he tugged until Jeongguk groaned. “Please, alpha. Fill me up.”

A low, growly, “Fuck,” passed the alpha’s lips, and then Jeongguk grabbed the omega’s wrist to move his hand off his cock, laced their fingers together as he pressed their hands down into the mattress by Jimin’s head, and carefully moved his hips forward, pressing into the omega’s slick-soaked entrance.

Jeongguk held eye contact, and they both held their breaths and—

He was inside.

The head of his cock pushed in and past Jimin’s initial, tight rings of muscle and wrapped Jeongguk in a vice grip of heat. The alpha searched his eyes, keeping their hands together in bed. “Okay?”

Jimin’s omega preened at being checked on, and he nodded. A pleasurable sigh escaped in the same exhale as, “So good.”

As a reward, Jeongguk dipped down and gave him a quick kiss before lifting back up to focus on the task at hand. He looked down, his black curls falling over his face, his necklace dangling from his neck. As he watched his own cock slowly slip further into the stretched, slick heat, he got closer and closer to Jimin and, by the time Jeongguk’s hips were flush with Jimin’s ass, his necklace was right over the omega’s face, and he was staring up at it, a little cross-eyed.

Jeongguk looked at him, his breathing unsteady, and he asked, “Still okay?”

“Mhm. Y-Yes, please—”

“Shh.” Jeongguk dove down and connected their mouths. Between kisses, he muttered, “I’ll give it to you, angel. Just—for a second…” He didn’t finish the rest of the sentence. Instead, the alpha tilted his head and deepened their kiss, coaxing his tongue into Jimin’s mouth. At the same time, his hips drew back, and he let Jimin feel every inch of his cock as it slipped out of his slick-dripping hole. The omega moaned as Jeongguk’s tongue tangled with his own while he was stretched out, his heat tight around the alpha.

Jimin tried to listen, but his hips were still shifting, and he was clenching around Jeongguk unintentionally, trying hard to stay still. His omega already acknowledged that an alpha was finally inside of them, and he only contained so much patience—especially right now. The last thing he could handle was Jeongguk slowly pulling out of him.

So, he whined and pressed one of his legs against the alpha’s back, trying to prevent him from slipping out all of the way. Between kisses, he pleaded, “Alpha, fuck me.”

Jeongguk made a gruff noise and gripped Jimin’s bare thigh with one hand—the other still laced with Jimin’s against the sheets—and he pulled back to look down at the omega. Jimin bit back a groan at the sight of how hot he was; tangled black hair from the omega tugging on it, his pupils blown wide with lust in a way that made his eyes nearly pitch black, and the strain in his defined biceps as he slowly pressed back inside of Jimin all the way—all of it was so hot.

As his cock filled the omega back up to the hilt, Jimin whimpered at the sheer size, basking in the sensation of being so full that it was almost too much.

“Told you to be patient. Seems you can’t do that right now, huh, omega?” Jeongguk said, condescension evident in his tone.

Jimin was powerless to do anything but nod in agreement. Outside of his heat, he might’ve made a sassy remark or tried to make a slick comment directed at the alpha. However, in his heat? Well, right now, he just wanted to get fucked. He couldn’t think past anything except honesty and being pliant in the way that he knew would get him to what he needed quicker.

Jeongguk huffed a breathless laugh at the transparent response and then sat up, his hand pulling away from Jimin’s only to mirror his other by gripping the omega’s leg on the opposite side. In seconds, he forced the omega’s legs up and apart, making room for himself between them for better mobility.

The alpha raised a brow down at the omega, and Jimin blinked up at him, dazed and horny. His cock was leaking hard between his legs, and his blonde hair was matted to his forehead with sweat. Jeongguk was a glorious sight; all muscle and two full sleeves of tattoos on display. Currently, he was buried inside of Jimin, and that cocky little look in his eyes was not helping the slick leaking all over his cock between the omega’s legs.

“Just need to get filled up? Can’t think about anything but the way I feel inside of you? Is that it?”

Again, Jimin simply nodded. And that seemed like the right thing to do because, in that moment, Jeongguk began drawing his hips back and then pushing in again, slowly but surely getting used to the sensation of being inside the omega and trying to set a pace.

“You can still talk, can’t you?” Jeongguk teased. He emphasized the question with a deep, fluid thrust that had Jimin’s mouth falling open around a silent moan. “Hm? I’ve hardly fucked you. You can’t be that far gone already.”

“D-Don’t be—” Jimin started and was cut off by the alpha begging to steadily thrust, making sure the omega took him deep every time he pushed in. Still, he managed, “s-so full of yourself. Y-You’d need to do a lot more to make me—Mmm. Shit.”

Jeongguk smirked, his teeth flashing. He bent down—keeping the omega’s thighs trapped between their bodies—and caged his arms around either side of Jimin’s head. Something akin to humor flickered behind the arousal in his eyes. “Oh? Is that so? You wanna know something?” Jeongguk searched Jimin’s flushed, pretty face. “I bet you’re a fucking handful inside and outside of your heats, aren’t you?”

The answer to that was yes. There were many reasons Jimin preferred to be alone rather than share a bed with someone, and his… defiant streak was certainly one of them. He was shocked that after a single remark, Jeongguk picked up on that.

But a part of him didn’t want to confirm it—probably that same bratty little part that made him comment in the first place. It was fun to let Jeongguk draw his own conclusions. So, Jimin bit down on his plump bottom lip and stared down at where they were connected, determined to play the moment off.

Jeongguk laughed and leaned up again, propping himself on one arm and using the other to thread his fingers through the omega’s hair. He tugged until Jimin made eye contact and kept thrusting steadily as he speculated aloud, “I can see it in your eyes, you know—that little speck of resistance. Even now, with your omega calling the shots and a cock buried in you, part of you wants to be defiant.”

Jimin’s brows pulled together as Jeongguk’s thrusts sped up. Now, he was going a little faster—each thrust hitting harder. A wet, lewd sound was coming from between the omega’s legs from the obscene amount of slick leaking from him, and they could both hear the rhythmic slap of Jeongguk’s hips meeting Jimin’s ass with each motion—the noise only getting louder as he got rougher.

Then, the alpha smirked down at him, his necklace knocking against his chest. A dark brow rose. “And honestly? It’s cute.”

The omega’s eyes fluttered and threatened to shut. High, airy notes of pleasure passed his lips, and just before he felt like he was about to slip into the feeling of being thoroughly fucked, Jeongguk yanked on his hair again. A sting of pain rushed through his scalp, and he hissed, his cock pulsing against his abdomen. He glared half-heartedly up at the alpha, his fingers twisted into the sheets to keep himself from shifting up with each thrust.

“I’m not done with you,” Jeongguk said. He bent down and caught the omega in another kiss. At the same time, he kept his hand in Jimin’s hair while his other hand moved to cup the omega’s face on either side. Jimin’s lips squished as his cheeks were pushed in, making the kiss open-mouthed and messy. He kept fucking Jimin the entire time. His feet were firmly planted on the rug beneath the omega’s bed, and he was thrusting at a perfect pace, letting Jimin get adjusted to the feeling of being properly stretched out and fucked.

Between kisses, the alpha’s voice lowered, and he suggested, “I know you want to be good for me. And you are being good, aren’t you?”

Jimin whined and nodded, letting one of his hands tangle in the alpha’s soft hair because he couldn’t help himself.

Jeongguk broke the kiss off and forced the omega’s head to the side. His lips pressed to the shell of Jimin’s ear, and the omega shivered. “But I bet another part of you wishes you could act like a fucking brat right now.”

A pitiful whimper. Jimin’s eyes rolled back as the alpha’s hips shifted and made his cock rub right against his prostate on every new thrust in. “F-Fuck.”

The sheets were a wreck beneath them; damp and tangled, clinging to sweat-slicked skin. Jimin was sprawled on his back, flushed all the way down his chest, his thighs trembling where they wrapped around the alpha’s hips. The air was heavy with the sharp, intoxicating pull of omega heat. Jeongguk watched Jimin’s reactions with dark, observant eyes, picking up on every pretty curve of the omega’s mouth around silent moans, every flutter of his eyelashes as he became more and more overwhelmed.

“You feel incredible,” Jeongguk groaned, voice low and rough against the shell of Jimin’s ear as he rocked in deep. His hands slid down and framed the omega’s waist, holding him steady as Jimin’s body clenched and squeezed around him, hot and needy. “You’re so tight. Warm. ‘M not gonna last if you keep milking me like that.”

Jimin gave the alpha his best pleading eyes, abdomen tight with a desperate variety of arousal. “Want that. P-Please, alpha?”

A shocked, breathy laugh escaped Jeongguk. Gruffly, he confirmed, “You don’t want me to last, baby?”

Shamelessly, Jimin shook his head and rocked his hips down as best as he could. At the same time, he purposefully tightened around the alpha. “N-No. Need you to come. Want your knot.”

The omega felt Jeongguk twitch inside of him and whined. The alpha dropped his head down in the crook of Jimin’s neck, his black curls falling wildly, and he sucked in a deep breath, muttering, “You’re so fucking hot.”

Jimin’s head fell back, lips parting on a broken sound. His hands scrabbled against Jeongguk’s shoulders, nails digging into firm muscle like he needed something to hold onto before he fell apart. “Can’t help it,” he gasped, voice already wrecked. “A-Ah, please. J-Jeongguk, you’re—ahh—stretching me so much.”

Jeongguk hissed through his teeth, rutting harder at the sound of his name on Jimin’s tongue. He spread his legs wider, forcing the omega to do the same. Then, he shifted Jimin’s lower half up into his lap, angling further and further up until Jimin cried out, back arching off the mattress. Suddenly, he was hitting the omega’s sensitive bundle of nerves on every deep thrust without missing a beat.

It felt fucking otherworldly.

“There?” Jeongguk growled, already chasing it again. “Right there?”

Jimin nodded frantically, breath hitching, thighs tightening around him. “Y-Yeah, there—don’t stop.” His voice was high and sweet, cut through with need, and Jeongguk swore under his breath as he gave it to him, driving into the spot that made Jimin’s body writhe.

The slap of skin filled the small bedroom, mixed with the slick slide of Jimin’s body taking the alpha so easily now, all heat-dazed and whiny. Jeongguk leaned down, pressed their chests together, and swallowed Jimin’s pitched moan in a messy kiss. Jimin met him eagerly, mouth opening, tongue tangling with his, like he couldn’t get enough even as he gasped for air.

“You’re so pretty,” Jeongguk muttered against his lips, thrusting deep enough to make the bedframe creak. “Gonna make you come all over yourself, angel, and then I’m gonna fill you up the way you deserve.”

Jimin whimpered, cheeks flushed, sweat dampening the fringe of his hair. He tilted his head, exposing the vulnerable line of his throat. “S-Split me open around your knot, alpha,” he breathed, voice trembling, “I want you to.”

That set something off in Jeongguk. His thrusts turned rougher, deeper, pulling whimpers and cries from Jimin that filled the small apartment, muffled only by the alpha bringing two fingers up to Jimin’s plump, red lips and nudging until he parted them in permission, before slipping them inside to keep him quiet. Eyes rolling back, Jimin moaned around the digits and sucked happily on them. In seconds, saliva was coating Jeongguk’s fingers, and the omega was drooling while with them in his mouth, satiated by being filled from both ends.

Jeongguk groaned at the sight of Jimin’s fucked-out expressions; flushed cheeks, sweat-damp forehead causing his blonde hair to stick, his tear-brimmed eyes.

The alpha dropped his mouth to suck at the curve of the omega’s neck. He bit lightly, soothed with his tongue, and left Jimin trembling beneath him. He didn’t go hard enough to leave any lasting marks, but it was enough to have Jimin’s hole clenching methodically around him as he was overcome with pleasure. Jeongguk huffed out a hard breath. “Shit, you’re so good like this.”

Jimin’s hand slid between their bodies and wrapped around his own cock, pumping quickly and needy to match Jeongguk’s rhythm. He pulled off the alpha’s long, thick fingers to say, “I’m close.” He panted, legs shaking. “Please, please, don’t stop—”

Jeongguk caught his wrist, stilling the movement, and wrapped his own hand around Jimin instead, stroking him in time with his thrusts. “I’ll take care of you,” he promised, voice raw. He used his other hand to keep Jimin’s hips up and off the bed, ensuring he could continue fucking him at the angle he liked best. “Let me make you come, yeah? I wanna feel you fall apart on me.”

Relief at someone else taking over his pleasure mixed with a tightly wound need for release, and Jimin choked on a sob, tears spilling from his eyes and running down his cheeks as the alpha single-handedly worked him to orgasm. Jeongguk held him steady and fucked him within an inch of his life, thrusts becoming stuttered and wild as they both got closer.

That’s when the omega felt the thick base of the alpha’s cock growing wider. He gasped loudly and dropped his head back, dragging out a moan as Jeongguk’s knot expanded.

“Shit. Already?” The alpha asked aloud, the question one full of shock and clearly meant for himself. Jimin couldn’t help the delicious lick of satisfaction that worked through his body at that reaction. He rolled his hips down, enticing the alpha deeper in.

Jeongguk gave in easily, pressing his knot to the omega’s slick-covered entrance and thrusting in time with the way the omega moved his hips until—

Jimin mewled high in his throat. “Yes. Yes, yes—”

The alpha dragged out a groan as his knot popped in, coaxed inside by the omega’s needy hole. The sight of it was downright obscene. Jimin was already tiny compared to Jeongguk, but the sight of his stretched entrance pulled taut around the impossibly thick knot was enough to have the alpha’s cock twitching inside.

With his omega finally happy with having an alpha locked inside, it didn’t take more than a few seconds for Jimin to come. The omega’s cry was muffled against Jeongguk’s shoulder as he finally reached the peak of his pleasure. He spilled hot over the alpha’s fist, clenching tight around him as the full weight of the orgasm ripped through him. The way Jimin squeezed tightly around the alpha’s cock nearly undid Jeongguk right there, and he groaned, thrusts growing more sloppy and desperate.

“Fuck—You’re perfect,” Jeongguk said, the words rough and coming out as more of a growl at the end than anything else. Hips stuttering, he spilled into him, buried to the hilt, shuddering with the force of it as he pumped the omega full of hot cum.

Rolling his hips, Jeongguk dragged the orgasm out while Jimin continued milking his knot for everything he had. After the initial high, a wave of exhaustion washed over both of them. Carefully, Jeongguk shifted them and, with a few whines of protest from the omega, moved until the alpha’s back was against the cold sheets and Jimin was on top of him, the pair still locked together by their lower halves.

They collapsed together, still panting, sweat-damp skin sticking where their bodies pressed close. Jimin curled against him instinctively, legs still wound around Jeongguk’s sides like he wasn’t ready to let him go.

Jeongguk pressed his forehead to Jimin’s temple, still catching his breath. “Hope you’re ready for more,” he murmured, voice low but already hungry again. “Because I don’t think I can stop now that I know you feel that good.”

And Jimin, flushed and pliant and already shivering with the lingering edge of his heat that was only beginning, whispered back, “Don’t.”

The days that followed blurred together, time marked only by the rise and fall of Jimin’s demanding heat.

One moment, he was bent over the mattress, Jeongguk’s hand fisted in his hair, the slap of skin echoing through the room as Jimin sobbed into the sheets, begging for another knot, for another orgasm—anything that his omega was needy for at that time. The next moment, they were trying to get through a movie in the living room when they had a moment of reprieve, and suddenly another wave would hit. Jimin would find himself straddling Jeongguk’s lap on the couch, head thrown back as the alpha’s tongue worked along his throat, hands guiding his hips down onto the length of his cock until Jimin was trembling and falling apart in his lap all over again.

They took each other on the floor when they couldn’t make it to the bed; Jimin on his back with his ankles locked over Jeongguk’s shoulders, crying out each time the angle made pleasure shoot straight through his body. 

Another time, Jeongguk had him on the kitchen counter in the middle of an attempt to get a refill on their snacks. It ended with Jimin’s legs spread wide, food forgotten beside them as Jeongguk’s thrusts made the dishes in the omega’s cabinets rattle.

And between it all—when Jimin’s body finally gave them a breath—Jeongguk was all steady hands and quiet care. 

When they needed to get clean, he lifted Jimin into the bath like he was something delicate, settled him between his thighs in the warm water, and ran a cloth gently over flushed skin until Jimin’s head lolled back on his shoulder, eyes half-lidded. He pressed water bottles into his hands, coaxing him to drink. He fed him bites of toast, fruit—anything to keep him from burning out entirely.

But the reprieves never lasted long.

Jimin would stir again, scent growing sweet and sharp, pupils blown wide as need crept back in. And Jeongguk was there—instant and ready—coaxing him onto all fours, or folding him in half with his knees pressed to his chest, or holding him up against the wall with strong arms caging him in while Jimin’s voice broke around his name, or hiccupped over his title.

Nights bled into mornings, and mornings back into nights. The sheets were replaced, soaked again, and replaced once more. Jimin barely remembered how many times he came, only that Jeongguk’s touch was always there—strong, grounding, and relentless. His voice was a growl in his ear one moment and a soothing murmur the next, reminding him to breathe, to eat, to rest when his body tried to burn itself out.

By the time the heat finally began to ebb and left only one or two more major waves, both of them were marked with sweat, accidental bruises, less-accidental bite marks, and a haze of exhaustion that clung to every limb. And even then, Jeongguk’s hands were gentle as he washed the sweat from Jimin’s skin, steady as he tucked him back against his chest in the quiet aftermath, ready to answer the pull of need again the moment it rose.

“Jimin.”

The omega groaned and shifted, adjusting his neck so he could lie more comfortably.

“Jimin,” the low, smooth voice repeated, and the man in question frowned in his sleep, feeling too hot and comfortable, and not wanting to be woken up right now.

A big hand found the nape of Jimin’s neck. “Omega.”

Jimin went completely still, whimpering at the gruff tone. Unhappily, he opened his eyes and tilted his head up, making eye contact with Jeongguk. He was resting on the alpha’s chest, tucked against his side. The covers were over them, and they were both completely bare underneath.

“Hm?” Jimin asked lazily, still too sleepy to think of much outside of how cozy he felt and how handsome Jeongguk looked like this—bedhead and staring at the omega with a gleam of amusement that was mixing with poorly-veiled lust.

“You’re rutting against my leg.”

Deep in the throes of another wave of his heat, Jimin just rocked lazily against the strong, warm leg again, frowning. “Alpha…”

Jeongguk’s grin was equal parts tired and playful. “Yes?”

Dropping down, the omega shamelessly buried his face into the alpha’s neck and continued slowly rutting. His hands wrapped around the back of Jeongguk’s neck. “Need it,” he whispered, vague and winded, hips grinding in circles against the firm heat beneath him. His body ached with it, slick already dripping down his thighs, making everything messy and desperate. He repeated in a muffled tone, “Need it again.”

Grabbing his hips and helping to guide his pitiful little motions, Jeongguk pressed his lips to the side of the omega’s head and asked in a low, sultry voice, “Need what, omega? Be specific.”

Jimin’s lips trembled, frustration bubbling as he squirmed in Jeongguk’s lap. He didn’t want to put words to it, but the press of the alpha’s cock beneath him, thick and ready, made his brain melt. “Your… your knot,” he confessed in a cracked voice, cheeks flaming. “Need your knot again. Alpha, please—”

The words seemed to break something in the alpha’s resolve. 

Jeongguk shifted suddenly—strong arms wrapping around him—and flipped him down into the mattress with hardly any effort at all. Jimin let out a startled gasp that turned into a moan as his chest pressed flat to the sheets, Jeongguk’s weight settling over him, hot and heavy.

Pinned like that, his cheek pressed into the pillow, Jimin’s body trembled with need. He spread his thighs easily when Jeongguk nudged them wider, his breath catching when the alpha’s cock pushed at his entrance—so big, so thick, spreading him open all over again.

The burn was fleeting and bled into a sweet serenity that was exactly what his body was crying out for. 

Jimin whimpered into the sheets, fingers clawing at the bedding as Jeongguk drove into him in one long, relentless thrust. His body clenched tight around the intrusion, but it only made the pressure better, made him feel fuller. The alpha’s arms caged him in, making him feel deliciously small.

“Ah—f-fuck—I-It’s so much,” Jimin babbled, voice muffled. His back arched, his hips pushing back helplessly to take more, trying to meet the alpha’s movements. Each thrust shoved him deeper into the mattress, his body jolting forward, but he couldn’t stop, couldn’t think of anything but how good it felt to be filled like this. His cock was pinned between himself and the mattress, and the pressure felt so good that it had him crying out.

The room was all heat and sound. There was the repetitive slap of skin-on-skin, the wet drag of slick, the pitched noises spilling from Jimin’s throat. He mewled loudly when the angle shifted, the thick length inside him hitting deeper—right against the spot that made sparks burst behind his eyes.

His arms gave out, and his mouth fell open on a string of broken pleas. “There, there, don’t stop. Alpha, please, please, please—”

Jeongguk’s pace was brutal, rutting into him hard enough to make the bed creak, his weight heavy over Jimin’s back, pinning him exactly where he wanted to be. The pressure, the rhythm, the hot stretch of it—it was all overwhelming, dragging Jimin higher, closer to the edge until he finally felt the thick swell of the alpha’s knot beginning to catch at his rim.

Jimin sobbed, his body clenching down instinctively. The sensation was too much, yet just enough. It was everything he’d been aching for. 

When his orgasm hit, it hit hard. His cock spilled untouched against the sheets as he shook under Jeongguk’s weight, body tightening around the alpha’s cock in a vice grip. It’s like his omega was refusing to ever relinquish claim over their knot.

Jeongguk groaned deep and long, swearing gruffly under his breath as he locked deep inside of the omega with a final thrust, swelling until Jimin was stretched impossibly full, stuffed and satisfied with their bodies tethered together.

Jimin’s following keen was whiny and broken, emphasized by tears pricking at the corners of his eyes as he trembled through the aftershocks.

Pinned beneath the alpha, chest pressed to the bed, he was utterly filled and entirely claimed. 

His cheek stuck to the damp sheets, lips parted on soft, needy whimpers as he felt Jeongguk continue to spill into him, hot and endless. And still, Jimin’s body pulsed with want, already fluttering around the thick knot keeping him stretched wide. He shivered, nearly speechless, pressing his hips back into the weight above him. “Alpha… more,” he whispered, even as his body gave out, trembling and wrung out beneath him.

Jeongguk’s laugh was a breathless one. He kissed the side of the omega’s head with a starkly contrasting tenderness and muttered, “Insatiable little omega. Don’t worry. I’ll give you as much as you need.”

Jimin’s body relaxed further into the bed, his inner omega purring at the promise. And with another—hopefully final—wave on the way, he was ready to walk the tightrope of that assurance.

Jimin’s entire body ached when he awoke. With a pained groan, he blinked his eyes open and winced at the light he was met with, trying to adjust his vision.

The bedroom was cool, and there was soft sunshine everywhere, the golden glow of it pouring through the sheer curtains Jimin had tugged shut a few days ago—when his body first gave in to heat. Now, it felt like the world had finally slowed. There was no fever crawling beneath his skin, no desperate edge to every breath he took. There was only quiet. 

It was surprisingly… peaceful.

The clock on his bedside table told him it was just after two in the afternoon. With a frown etched into his features, he forced himself up into a sitting position and leaned back against the frame of his bed, tugging the sheets up to his neck when cold air instantly hit him.

His room stunk of sex; slick, cum, sweat—and he could smell the vetiver and rose lingering in everything from their combined scents.

Noting Jeongguk’s scent, Jimin looked around for the alpha in question, and couldn’t help the way his expression softened at the sight before him. Jeongguk was still asleep in Jimin’s bed; face pressed into a pillow, arm slung across the space Jimin had recently slipped out of, hair sticking up in every direction like he’d wrestled with the sheets in his dreams. 

Careful not to wake the—no doubt exhausted—alpha, Jimin climbed out of bed with a great amount of effort, and tugged on some clothes since he was still naked from prior… activities. 

Tiptoeing, he made his way to the bedroom door. Once there, Jimin lingered at the doorframe for a second, taking in the sight of the still-sleeping alpha in his bed. His broad shoulders were relaxed, and his chest was rising and falling steadily. He looked younger like this, somehow. Such a delicate sight didn’t feel real after days of fever-hazed touches, tangled limbs, and sweat-damp skin.

With a mute creak from the door, he eventually left Jeongguk to rest. After combing through his hair in the bathroom, the omega headed further down the hallway. A dull pain throbbed between his legs, and his entire body ached, but he tried to ignore it as he stepped into the kitchen and switched the fluorescent lights on.

Rubbing at his puffy eyes, he quietly pulled out a pan and some food. His stomach was howling at him, and he knew it must be the same for Jeongguk.

He worked efficiently, relief washing over him at the knowledge that his body was back to normal enough for him to be able to complete tasks and focus on something other than a knot. Heats were intense and exhausting, and he was always glad once they were over. This one went by a few days quicker than anticipated, too—thanks to Jeongguk’s presence.

While preparing breakfast, he tried not to think too hard about how domestic the whole thing felt. His heat was barely gone, his neighbor was asleep in his bed, and food was sizzling in the pan like this was something they did all the time, and not a huge, first-time risk that Jimin took. One that, dare he say, worked out very well.

By the time the omega was finished preparing the food and setting the table, there were some noises from deeper into the apartment.

The smell of coffee must’ve coaxed the alpha awake. Footsteps came—heavy, dragging—before he appeared in the doorway, leaning against the frame with his hair mussed, a hoodie tugged on over bare skin, and sweatpants slung low on his hips. Somewhere between where the sweatshirt ended and the pants began, there was a tiny sliver of tan, defined skin on display. His voice was rough when he spoke.

“Jimin?” Jeongguk muttered as he entered the room.

The omega in question glanced over at him, his eyes going wide at the sight of the alpha standing in the doorway. He put in quite a lot of effort not to look down at where his abs were showing. Instead, he focused on the deep pull to the alpha’s eyebrows, the subtle downturn of his lips. He looked confused and a little worried.

Blushing and looking away, Jimin managed to politely say, “Good morning. I, uh, figured you would be hungry.”

Jeongguk’s voice was rough when he spoke. “Smells good.” He rubbed a hand over his face and blinked at Jimin through messy strands of hair. “You’re… up early.”

Jimin looked over his shoulder with a spatula in hand, his lips quirking. “Not that early, but, um… yeah, I couldn’t really sleep anymore.” He turned back to the pan and let a light laugh escape. “You, on the other hand, were out cold.”

The alpha hummed, slow and thoughtful, and then pushed off the doorframe in favor of dropping into a chair at the small, rounded kitchen table. He sprawled into it like he owned the place; legs wide, his head propped up on his hand as he watched Jimin move around. His gaze felt heavy, dragging over bare legs and the curve of Jimin’s throat when he bent to grab plates.

“How’re you feeling?”

The omega finished preparing everything and laid it out on the table, shrugging. “Sore but good? Here you go. Please, enjoy.”

Jeongguk examined him for a long moment, as if trying to gauge how truthful he was being. Then, his eyes flickered to the mouth-watering food on the table and narrowed. “You… should still be in bed.”

“My heat’s over,” Jimin pointed out, sitting down at a chair on the opposite side from Jeongguk and taking a small sip of his water. After swallowing, he added, “I’m fine now.”

Jeongguk picked up a fork but was still staring at the omega the entire time, looking unconvinced. “You’re fatigued.  What I meant was that you’re supposed to be resting.”

Shrugging again, Jimin gave him a half-smile and picked up his own silverware, eagerly eyeing the food on his plate. “Like I said, I’m fine. I can always sleep later.”

The alpha shook his head but didn’t add anything more to the matter. It was quiet for a minute as they both began eating, and then, after taking a few bites of the food, Jeongguk said, “This is good. You didn’t have to make it, but thank you.”

“Think of it as my way of…” Jimin gestured broadly, waving his fork around, “I don’t know… saying thank you for being my heat partner.”

Jeongguk huffed a laugh and smiled, looking down at his plate as he got another scoop of food. The omega glanced at him from across the table, smiling back. “What?”

Jimin pursed his lips, not saying anything.

“You’re saying that like I didn’t get something out of this.” Jeongguk’s mouth pulled into a playful half-smile, but his eyes stayed steady on him like he wanted Jimin to know he was being sincere. “Wasn’t exactly a hardship.”

The omega laughed under his breath, embarrassed, and shifted. Their knees brushed together beneath the small table, and Jimin ignored the zap of energy there in favor of starting on his eggs. The silence that followed was comfortable, and broken only by the clink of forks against ceramic. Still, it didn’t last long.

“You weren’t too much, you know,” Jeongguk told him suddenly, leaning back in his chair, gaze casual yet sharp.

Genuinely lost, Jimin blinked. “What do you mean?”

“You kept apologizing,” The alpha lifted his dark brows. “You were muttering that you were sorry every time you pulled me back in when another wave hit—like I was drowning or something.” He tilted his head. “And I wasn’t—not even close.”

Warmth crept onto the omega’s cheeks, and he ducked his head, pushing fruit around his plate absent-mindedly. “I just… I know it was a lot. Heats always make me—”

“Insatiable?” Jeongguk supplied, soft notes of amusement curling the syllables.

Jimin shot him a look, but the corner of his own mouth tugged up anyway. “Yes. That.” 

His eyes softened after a beat. “I hope you’re not sore.”

Jeongguk laughed, low and rough. “Not in a bad way.” He stretched, his hoodie riding up just enough to further expose the firm plane of his stomach, and Jimin’s gaze flickered to it before he forced it away.

They ate in silence for another few minutes, but it was thick now—charged, like everything unsaid was pressing close between them. Jeongguk’s knee nudged against his under the table, and it was evident it was deliberate this time.

Heat rushed through the omega, and he pursed his lips, thinking about the insinuation. Avoiding eye contact, he asked, “Are you saying the exhaustion and multiple days spent away from your real life were worth it?”

Jimin could feel Jeongguk’s gaze on him. He risked a peek, and their eyes locked. With a single dark brow lifted, Jeongguk confirmed, “Absolutely. And I’m saying that, if given the chance, I’d be happy to do it again.”

Jimin froze mid-bite, lips parting slightly. He hadn’t let himself think about it yet. At least, not clearly. But now, sitting across from Jeongguk, remembering the way his hands felt on his skin, the way his voice had broken on Jimin’s name—he knew the answer instantly. So, haphazardly, he placed his fork down and—as calmly as he could—replied, “Me too.”

The alpha searched his face. After a long moment, it seemed like he finally found what he was looking for, and he nodded, returning to eating. Jimin did the same and, a couple of bites later, Jeongguk’s voice came again.

“You know, my rut is, uh… It’s a few weeks out.”

Jimin hummed casually, trying to play it cool despite his racing mind. This was going much better than he anticipated. Part of him thought that the sex would be terrible, Jeongguk would make his exit without a word, and they would spend the next several months—until one of their leases was up—awkwardly avoiding one another in the hallway. But here they were now, sitting comfortably at Jimin’s dining table the morning after his heat ended, already talking about doing it again.

His omega is satiated for the first time in a long time, and it’s no thanks to the alpha across from him.

So, without overthinking for once, Jimin stated plainly, “Well… then you’ll have to let me know when it gets close. I’ll make sure to take off work.”

The alpha blinked, then huffed out a laugh, low and surprised. His grin was slow, curling at the edges like he hadn’t expected Jimin to tease him with the same calm ease he’d tried to muster. “Yeah?”

Jimin shrugged, hiding his smile behind his coffee mug. “Yeah.”

Jeongguk leaned forward, arms crossed on the table, chin resting on them as he studied the omega with something close to hunger still lingering in his gaze. “Good to know.”

The rest of breakfast passed in that same push and pull; eyes catching, lips tugging into hidden smiles, the quiet acknowledgement that what they’d started wasn’t done yet. When Jeongguk finally stood to leave—tugging his hoodie over his head and grabbing his keys—Jimin followed him to the door.

There, they shifted from one foot to the other. Neither said much. But the looks remained, as did the electricity in the background, like the air between them was still buzzing.

Eventually, the alpha finished grabbing the last of his things and got to the door. His hand wrapped around the cool handle, and he looked back at Jimin.

“So…”

“So,” Jimin laughed, arms folded. It earned him a deep chuckle from the alpha in response.

“I guess I’ll see you around?” Jeongguk murmured, grin lazy but knowing.

Nodding, the omega mirrored his easy-going expression. He was thoroughly-fucked and freshly full. Naturally, he had zero complaints. “Yeah. See you around.”

With that, the alpha slipped out of the apartment to head back across the hall to his own after being in Jimin’s for days on end.

And the omega stood there after the door shut, heart kicking up against his ribs, realizing that the quiet felt very different now.

Life returned to normal—at least, that’s what Jimin told himself.

He went back to working after having so many days off. He filled his hours with routine; he folded freshly cleaned sheets and let the laundry machine hum in the background while he cleaned up around the heat-soiled home. 

Eventually, his apartment smelled like fresh detergent again instead of fever-driven arousal, though sometimes—when the light caught the fabric just right, or when he pressed his face into his pillow without thinking—he swore it left him with the faint echo of sweaty, muscular skin and low growls that didn’t belong to him.

Jimin shook it off every time—pretended not to notice, pretended his body didn’t thrum at the memory.

But then there were the texts.

He had nearly forgotten that they exchanged numbers until, a day after his heat officially ended, a casual message came through where the alpha was asking how he was—and it didn’t stop at just one.

“Still getting headaches?” came late one night. On another, “Drink water. I made sure you were never dehydrated, but it doesn’t hurt to drink as much as you can after an intense cycle,” or a simple, “You good?”

Jimin didn’t need them. He wasn’t fragile, and Jeongguk didn’t owe him anything.

And yet his chest tightened every time a little notification popped up, and he found himself re-reading them more often than he should have. Excessive kindness wasn’t supposed to sit at the center of an arrangement like this, but there it was.

The first time Jimin saw him again, it was over something painfully ordinary: mail slipped into the wrong box downstairs.

That’s how, two weeks after the heat officially ended, the omega found himself at Jeongguk’s door with an envelope pinched between his fingers, debating whether or not he should just slide it under the door and walk away. But then he found himself knocking, and before he could change his mind, the door opened.

Jeongguk appeared a second later. He leaned lazily against the frame, hair pushed back, a loose gray t-shirt draped across his chest, sweatpants riding low on his hips. He smelled freshly showered—clean skin undercut by that grounding scent, wooded and smoky—the vetiver notes in his pheromones curled around Jimin’s senses before he had a chance to brace himself.

For one dizzy moment, he wasn’t standing in the hall anymore. He was back in his bed with Jeongguk’s weight pressing him down, a mouth on Jimin’s neck, and that same smell clinging to each breath the omega took as his own rose-sweet scent flowed between them.

Jimin blinked hard, forcing himself into the present.

“Oh. Hey,” Jeongguk greeted, voice warm but rough-edged with sleep. His gaze dropped to the letter in Jimin’s hand.

“Got this by mistake,” Jimin said quickly, extending it. His palm felt clammy. “Thought I’d bring it over.”

Jeongguk’s fingers brushed his as he took it—big, warm, calloused—and Jimin’s stomach flipped at the contact. The smell of him was everywhere, inescapable. And he recalled where those fingers were, the things they did to him.

“Wow. Thanks.”

“It’s no big deal,” Jimin insisted, though his throat felt tight. Something reckless pushed its way past his lips, too soft to be brushed off as casual: “Especially after… how much you helped me.”

The budding memories blossomed in an instant. Suddenly, there were flashes of the alpha’s hands gripping Jimin’s hips, the sound of their bodies meeting, the dizzying stretch every time Jeongguk knotted him, and Jimin’s resounding whimper christened the air. Heat prickled up his neck.

Jeongguk’s eyes caught his, dark and knowing. “Yeah.”

A pause made a moment between them pass by in tense silence.

Then, quieter, the alpha mentioned, “My rut should be in about a month.”

Jimin swallowed. His pulse raced in his throat, betraying him. He forced a shrug that came out almost too light, lips tugging at a smile. “I’ll… make sure to take off work in that case. You’ll text me the days?”

“Yeah, of course.”

The words hung there like smoke, curling, lingering.

And Jimin couldn’t stop himself. His gaze flicked down, just for a second, to where the sweatpants hung low, waistband dipping into sharp muscle. The image tangled instantly with his own memories of Jeongguk above him with sweat dripping down his temples, the weight of his hips relentless. The way Jimin had begged for more, even when his body was already trembling—the way the alpha gave and gave.

He jerked his eyes back up, cheeks burning, hoping Jeongguk hadn’t noticed.

“Thanks again,” Jeongguk said after a moment, lifting the envelope slightly in a silent reminder of why they were standing here at all. His voice was steady, but his scent had shifted; thicker now, muskier, like vetiver deepened with smoke.

“Anytime,” Jimin managed, his own rose-sweet scent flaring sharp and embarrassed before he could rein it in. He took a step back, heart hammering. Trying to lighten the mood, he laughed airily and said, “But, of course, hopefully not anytime. I’d prefer they put our mail in the right boxes when possible.”

A genuine smile graced Jeongguk’s features, followed by a charming laugh at the comment. “Right. Same. See you later, Jimin.”

Feeling the air return to his lungs at the minor victory, the omega nodded. “Sure. Bye, Jeongguk.”

The door shut gently, leaving Jimin in the quiet hall. He stood frozen for a breath, then two, before turning toward his own apartment. He crossed the short distance back into his own home and closed his door, too. And there, in the quiet of his four walls, was where he felt like he could finally hear the rapid thump of his pulse.

They’d already had each other—in every way two people could—bodies pressed so close that there was no telling where one of them ended, and the other began. And yet one glimpse of him, one brush of his scent, one charming smile, and Jimin’s whole body felt like it was straining forward—still aching, still wanting.

It wasn’t supposed to be like this.

A month went by in the blink of an eye.

Snow melted and went away for the season, but it left behind cold, bitter air for April.  Jimin came home on the Sunday evening before the week he took off work with his ears still buzzing faintly from the concert he attended the day prior, his body pleasantly tired from dancing and laughing with one of his friends, a beta named Hoseok. 

When he first got in the door, his overnight bag was slung over one shoulder, his phone in hand, and the screen lit with a string of unread messages that Jeongguk had sent that day. Jimin was so busy saying goodbye to Hoseok and taking the bus back home that he hadn’t spared a second to reply just yet.

From: Jeongguk

Hey, do you know what time you’re getting in later?

I’m assuming you’re still traveling back

There’s no rush, but heads up, I think it’ll hit tonight

Jimin bit his lip, warmth crawling into his chest. He could almost smell Jeongguk’s scent through the words; heavy and restless, laced with a thread of impatience that made Jimin’s stomach clench. He texted back instantly, thumbs tapping as he kicked off his shoes in the entryway.

To: Jeongguk

Hi, sorry! Just got in the door

Give me ten minutes to get my things, and I’ll head over

It wasn’t even a question anymore. His body already moved on autopilot; folding clothes into a bag, grabbing toiletries, checking for his heat suppressants, and birth control. By the time he locked up his apartment and walked down the hall to Jeongguk’s door, his pulse had already picked up. His whole body remembered too well what it meant to cross this threshold, and exactly who was on the other side.

Jeongguk opened the door a single beat after the omega’s knock, almost as if he’d been standing right there waiting. He was barefoot with sweatpants slung low on his hips, black hair mussed like he’d been running his hands through it, and his jaw was sharp and shadowed like he hadn’t shaved in a few days. The overhead light behind him was soft and yellow, casting him in a soft warmth, but it was his eyes that caught Jimin first—sharp, wide, dark with something that made Jimin’s skin prickle. And, though he smiled, there was a tightness to it that Jimin caught immediately.

The scent is what hit him next. Thick vetiver—heavier than it had ever been—curling through the air like smoke. It was grounding and overwhelming all at once, dragging Jimin forward without meaning to.

“Hi.”

“Hey,” the alpha greeted back, voice rough around the edges. Dark eyes danced up and down the omega’s form, making him fold his shoulders into himself, feeling a little insecure. Is he dressed strangely? Should he have done his hair differently?

“What?” Jimin asked softly, a laugh at the end, as Jeongguk drew the door back and shifted to the side to let him in.

He stepped past the alpha, his shoes clicking faintly against the wooden floor. The apartment was neat—almost spartan. There was a wide couch in muted gray, a sturdy coffee table with faint water rings etched into the surface, and a wall-mounted TV that wasn’t on. The open-plan kitchen gleamed faintly under recessed lighting, everything in black and stainless steel. There was an order to the space—no clutter, no softness, and yet Jimin could feel Jeongguk in every corner; the faint gym bag slouched near the door, the motorcycle helmet on a counter, the heavy blanket tossed on the couch that no doubt smelled deeply of alpha.

Crossing the threshold, it felt like Jimin’s lungs shifted. His rose scent fluttered weakly, but it was swallowed almost instantly by Jeongguk’s own. His body loosened, shoulders sloping, like instinct had recognized safety before his mind could.

“What?” Jeongguk repeated back to him, gaze distant. The door shut behind them with a soft click. The alpha’s eyes continued roaming over him, lingering on his clothes, his neck—everywhere.

That’s when the realization dawned on Jimin.

His eyes got big. “Oh. You can… smell me?”

In his rush to arrive back in time, he forgot that he had another person’s scent on him. Not omega, not threatening—just his beta friend’s neutral warmth. And still, Jeongguk’s nostrils flared.

“Yeah. I smell something anyway, but it’s not you.”

Feeling foolish for forgetting something vital, the omega cringed outwardly. “It’s from the friend I went to see the concert with. I just came back from his place. I completely forgot.”

“It’s okay—it’s not you. It’s just that… my wolf doesn’t like it,” the alpha admitted roughly. He didn’t sound upset, but if the pheromones coming from him in waves were any indication, he certainly wasn’t overjoyed at the scent coming from Jimin. His voice was low, almost guilty. “It doesn’t like that you smell like someone else.”

“Oh.” Heat rushed up Jimin’s neck. He hugged his bag closer. “I can go back. I’ll change and shower really quickly—”

“No,” Jeongguk said, cutting him off. The word was sharp and final. 

His hand shot out then, catching Jimin’s wrist, pulling him closer until their chests nearly brushed. The bag slipped from the omega’s shoulder and landed on the entry rug with a dull thud. Jeongguk crowded into his space, both of their upper halves pressing together, heat radiating off the alpha’s skin. His pupils were blown wide now—nearly black—and when he dipped his head down, Jimin felt his breath hot against his throat.

“I don’t want you to leave right now,” Jeongguk muttered. And then he dragged his nose along the side of Jimin’s neck, inhaling deep, mouth warm and feverish as it hovered above the omega’s scent gland. Voice raspy, he asked, “Can I?”

Heat infiltrated Jimin’s veins. After a heartbeat, he exhaled shakily. “Yes.”

Jeongguk scented him without an ounce of hesitation. He buried his face in the omega’s neck and marked every inch of it like his life depended on it. The flood of scent was immediate and strong. Vetiver poured over the omega, burying the faint trace of anyone and everyone else until all Jimin was inhaling was Jeongguk, Jeongguk, Jeongguk. It was dizzying and overwhelming, grounding yet consuming all at once. His knees buckled, hands flying to grip Jeongguk’s t-shirt as his body trembled under the weight of being scented for the first time in a month. And this time, there was no heat-induced haze to muddle the serenity of the moment.

“That’s better,” Jeongguk mused against his skin, voice wrecked with desire, wolf-guided and unsteady. “So much better.”

Jimin whimpered. His head lolled back, eyes fluttering shut as the alpha licked, gently bit, and pressed his mouth into the omega’s neck like he could sink him into the floorboards. And when Jeongguk finally shifted up to claim Jimin’s lips, it wasn’t careful—it was all teeth, tongue, and desperation, forcing him backwards until the heels of Jimin’s ankles bumped into the couch.

The cushions dipped under his weight when he sank, his body spread out along the length of the comfortable cushions as Jeongguk shoved him further down, dragging his shirt up while pulling his pants down. The cool air hit Jimin’s skin, but it was nothing compared to the heat of Jeongguk above him, that vetiver scent thick in the omega’s nose until he felt almost drunk on it.

“Fuck, look at you,” Jeongguk muttered, voice gravelly with lust, his hands everywhere—palming Jimin’s thighs, tugging at his waistband until his pants were shoved past his knees. “You being covered in my scent is making me go insane.”

The words made Jimin’s body twitch, his chest heaving as he reached out, grabbing at Jeongguk’s shoulders like he needed him closer. “Jeongguk…”

The alpha grunted and spread his knees wider to slot himself between the omega’s legs. His hand slid down, cupping the omega through the thin cotton of his briefs, pressing until Jimin gasped and arched up into the touch.

“Already hard for me?” Jeongguk’s lips curved into something sharp, his teeth dragging against the swell of Jimin’s throat. He mouthed down to his scent gland, licking and sucking until the omega whimpered, hips bucking up helplessly. “I was wondering. You got so wet for me last time—hardly had to do anything before you were dripping with it. Thought it might’ve just been your heat, but I’m glad to see that it wasn’t just that. That’s you, isn’t it, angel?”

His heart leaped at the return of the nickname. Similar to the alpha, he thought the pet names might have only been there last time to soothe Jimin because of his heat. Knowing now that this was just how Jeongguk was, the desperation only seemed to double.

The omega’s fingers fisted in Jeongguk’s shirt, nails scraping fabric as his voice spilled high and needy. Rose-scented pheromones filled the air, and Jimin got wet between his legs, his body reacting naturally to the alpha being close to his rut. “Y-Yes. Please, Jeongguk, don’t tease.”

Jeongguk growled low, the sound vibrating against Jimin’s chest as he hooked his fingers into the waistband of his briefs and yanked them down. His hand slid back up, hot and wide against Jimin’s inner thigh before dipping between his cheeks. He pressed one thick finger against Jimin’s hole—not entering yet—just rubbing slow circles until the omega’s entire body trembled.

“Shit. You’re tight,” Jeongguk rasped when he finally pushed in. The stretch burned, but it was grounding and perfect, and Jimin cried out, his hands flying up to cover his face as his features twisted up in pleasure.

“No,” the alpha snapped, catching his wrists and pinning them above his head, burying them into a plush cushion on the couch. “None of that. Let me see you. Wanna look at you while I ruin you.”

Breath stuttering out, Jimin’s eyes wet as he nodded frantically. “Okay. Okay. J-Just—give me more.”

Towering over him, dark eyes pinned the omega in place. Then, a brow arched. “Are you making demands?”

He squirmed under the alpha, trying to get him to thrust his finger in deeper, faster. He whined aloud, trying to navigate how to get what he wanted. Realizing being bossy wasn’t going to work, he switched back to pleading: “No. P-Please, Jeongguk…”

The alpha hummed and pecked him once. “That’s what I thought.” He turned to the side, his lips finding the shell of Jimin’s ear. “One thing I neglected to mention last time, but brats don’t get shit from me.”

The way Jimin moaned was downright shameless. He bit down on his bottom lip in an attempt to hold back more sounds that would no doubt result in a noise complaint from their neighbors. He felt tightly wound, and more turned on than he’d ever been outside of one of his heats—and they were only about ten minutes into what would likely be a week of having sex for Jeongguk’s rut.

Jimin was going to lose it.

After begging, the alpha didn’t hesitate to give him more. Another finger slid in beside the first, the stretch sharper this time, which made Jimin whine high in his throat. Jeongguk twisted them, scissoring him open, brushing deep until sparks shot up Jimin’s spine and he sobbed, thighs quivering.

“That’s it,” Jeongguk groaned, leaning down to bite along Jimin’s jaw. “Take my fingers so well. You’re dripping for it—it’s so fucking hot, you have no idea.”

The words made Jimin’s body clench around the stretch, heat sparking low in his belly. He was panting now, hips rocking helplessly against Jeongguk’s hand. “I need—need you inside. I-I can’t—”

“Not yet,” Jeongguk growled, shoving a third finger in before Jimin could beg again. The stretch made his vision go blurry, his cry breaking raw in his throat, legs twitching around Jeongguk’s waist.

“J-Jeongguk! Fuck, t-that’s—Mmh.” 

“‘M gonna take my time with you before my rut hits. Gotta make sure you can handle me,” Jeongguk muttered, placing a deceptively sweet kiss against the omega’s temple. “It’s not going to be the same as it was during your heat.”

Despite the flood of pleasure, Jimin found it in himself to ask, “H-How so?”

“I was going easy on you before,” he confessed, making the omega’s cock twitch at the admission. The muscles in Jeongguk’s forearm flexed as he spread Jimin out on his fingers, and he watched with rapt attention, not wanting to miss a single second. Observant, dark eyes danced across Jimin’s features as Jeongguk continued, “I’m going to be so selfish with you now. You know that, right? If that’s not something you’re okay with, you need to tell me now.”

Backing down didn’t cross Jimin’s mind. His answer was immediate: “I can handle you.”

Jeongguk’s tongue poked into the side of his cheek, and he maintained eye contact with the omega, gauging how honest the comment was—all the while, his fingers never stopped moving. “You sure about that? Not a lot of people can.”

Jimin’s eyes narrowed. He panted, “I’m not a lot of people.”

Vetiver permeated the air the same way it did when Jimin’s clothes first came off during his heat. Jeongguk gave him an up and down. “No. You’re not.”

The conversation was over after that. They both knew what they wanted. Jeongguk was rut-heavy and merciless as he continued to fuck his fingers into the omega, fast and hard, hitting the sweet spot that had Jimin’s voice pitching high and broken. “Beg me then, Jimin. Tell me whose cock you need.”

Jimin’s head thrashed against the cushions, hair sticking to his damp forehead. Every thrust of Jeongguk’s fingers knocked a whimper out of him, tears welling at the corners of his eyes. “Yours! Please, yours, Jeongguk. I need your cock—Fuck, n-need you again—”

Jeongguk’s fingers were gone so quickly that Jimin gasped at the sudden emptiness—his whole body arching up, his hole clenching like it missed the feeling of being full. The alpha was already shoving his sweats down haphazardly, cock flushed and leaking, heavy in his fist as he stroked himself once, twice. His scent spiked thick and sharp, flooding the room until Jimin’s mouth watered.

“Gonna fuck you open now,” Jeongguk promised, voice wrecked, positioning himself at Jimin’s entrance. He propped one arm next to the omega’s head to steady himself and used the tattooed one to rub the fat tip of his cock against Jimin’s winking hole. His pupils were blown, his mouth bitten-red from kissing and his own gnawing at it. “Gonna fuck you until you can’t think, until all you know is me.”

“Want that. C-Come on. Please.” Jimin caged the alpha in with his legs, his hands finding any part of Jeongguk that they could to hold onto.

Finally, the pressure of the alpha pushing in came. The omega sucked in a breath and braced himself, feeling the familiar, bitter-sweet burn of the initial stretch—

Shit, he felt just as big as he did during Jimin’s heat. He thought he would’ve been more prepared to take him since it wasn’t the first time, but the stretch was still intense.

Luckily, between the heated swapping of spit and clashing teeth, Jeongguk managed to distract him with a gruff, “Why are you the one sounding needy here, angel? You’re talking like you’re about to go into heat again.”

Unable to hold his tongue, Jimin baited the alpha by whining, “I might be by the time you finally just—”

His own sharp gasp cut off the bratty remark, brought on by Jeongguk’s sudden thrust forward. With the mix of slick and prep, he bottomed out in one long, brutal stroke. The stretch split Jimin apart, making his breath catch and his nails dig into the alpha’s tan, muscled skin, his eyes rolling back as the Jeongguk’s cock filled him.

“Fuck,” Jeongguk groaned, his voice guttural against Jimin’s ear. “Still so tight. Is this what you wanted? It certainly got you to shut up.”

Jimin sobbed, legs wrapping tight around his waist. “Yes. Y-Yes, Jeongguk. Please, just—”

Jeongguk snarled, his wolf rising to the surface with every plea that fell from the omega’s lips. Impatience and pheromones indicating his instinct to breed introduced themselves as he began to move, pounding into Jimin with rough, unrelenting thrusts right away—no time for sweet, slow, or steady this time around. He was right about being more selfish than during the omega’s heat. He didn’t ease him into it, didn’t mutter reassurances to him. They’d done this once before, and he’d warned Jimin. He expected him to take it.

And Jimin was fucking salivating over that fact.

The couch creaked, cushions shifting under their weight, but neither of them noticed. The omega's voice cracked on every cry, the drag of Jeongguk’s cock hitting so deep it stole all the air from his lungs.

Jeongguk didn’t stop, never faltered. He pressed down harder, thrusted deeper; mouth at Jimin’s shoulder, biting in that harsh way he knew would make the omega cry out, gripping Jimin’s thick thigh or holding steady on his waist—doing whatever he needed to keep the omega exactly where he wanted him. Thick, heady vetiver wrapped around them until the apartment was dripping in it—until Jimin was dripping because of it, scent-influenced and full to the brim.

Jimin was hanging on as best as he could, trying to maintain focus because he knew this was only the beginning. But his resolve was slipping more and more with every breathless groan from the alpha, with each thrust, with every thrust of Jeongguk’s cock against his prostate.

He knew he could handle Jeongguk—he wasn’t just saying it before. However, he still wasn’t quite sure what he had just gotten himself into. Despite what it might say about him, that thought somehow only seemed to turn him on more.

During his heat, he blacked out for a lot of what happened. Now? He would remember every little moment with Jeongguk here; all of the sex, all of the words exchanged, exactly how the alpha looked and felt and sounded.

With all of that in mind, Jimin wrapped himself tighter around the alpha and leaned up to catch him in another kiss, determined to throw himself wholly into this experience.

Later, the omega’s legs trembled against the cushions as Jeongguk spread him open, tongue working him mercilessly to clean all of the cum out of him until he was sobbing, tears slipping down his cheeks. Every moan echoed too loud in his own ears, his body wrung tight under the drag of the alpha’s mouth until he shattered, voice breaking on every plea that passed his lips.

He barely knew how he got upstairs. The apartment blurred, stairs twisting beneath him as Jeongguk carried him up with ease, every kiss sloppy and urgent, every step filled with scent and heat. His skin buzzed, his whole body humming on alpha and need.

The bedroom was styled as dark as the rest of the home; leather and warm, low lights, black sheets, and deep oak in any place where wood existed. The sheets felt cool against his back as he lay in bed.

Jeongguk drew back to strip off the rest of his clothes—Jimin's long, bare—and the omega’s body started moving without a conscious thought. He found himself tugging at the pillows, dragging the blanket up and around as he pleased, curling the space of the bed into something enclosed and safe. His hands fisted the fabric, gathering it close without realizing, and he was intent on keeping going until Jeongguk stilled him with a gentle, big hand on his wrist.

“Omega.” The word was low and reverent, pulling Jimin back into his body. He blinked, dazed, stared down at the mess he was making of Jeongguk’s neat bed, and then glanced back up at the alpha.

“You’re nesting,” Jeongguk said in a gruff way that almost made him sound pleased by this fact.

Shame flushed hot over his cheeks. His lips parted as he got ready to deny it—to stammer out something, anything. “I—Uh, I’m—”

“I like it,” Jeongguk interrupted, voice soft but steady. His palm slid up to cup Jimin’s cheek, thumb brushing his skin. “I figured you just did it before because you were in heat. I like getting to watch you make my bed into your little nest. It’s cute.”

The words made a rare variety of warmth spread through Jimin’s chest. His throat burned, and his whole body swayed forward. He found himself kissing the alpha, messy and needy, which Jeongguk reciprocated without a second of hesitation. The alpha pushed him down into the center of the new nest, groaning against Jimin’s mouth when their hot bodies brushed together.

Minutes later, Jeongguk was above him again. They were both sweaty and naked as rut-guided thrusts made the bed rock beneath them, the air hot and heavy with their tangled scents and aroused pheromones. Jimin clung to him, every cry spilling raw into the alpha’s shoulder, his mind dissolving into thoughts of how good this all felt and about how badly he wanted more.

Even through the haze, with his body trembling in pleasure under the alpha’s weight, one thought burned bright in Jimin’s mind:

I never want to stop doing this with him.

Most of Jeongguk’s rut passed in a feverish haze. Jimin floated through it, body pliant and greedy, tethered always to the alpha’s heat. Time blurred—days bled into nights, hours into breaths—as if the sun rose and fell only to witness Jeongguk sinking into him, knot locking them together until Jimin was shaking and boneless, utterly wrecked and desperate for more.

The apartment smelled of them, thick and heavy. Vetiver clung to Jimin’s skin, sunk into his nostrils, and infiltrated his lungs until it replaced the air itself. Beneath it, faint but stubborn, was the sweetness of his own rose scent—like crushed petals under Jeongguk’s weight, blooming fresh again every time he moaned or arched or begged for more, more, more.

Sometimes he thought he would drown in it. But the truth was that Jimin adored it—every single second. It’s the sample of that first night together and all of the fuzzy memories from his heat after that had him crossing the hall to come back for more, and fuck, he’s glad he did.

Jeongguk was rough and driven by instincts brought out by his rut, but he was never careless.

When his cock wasn’t buried deep in the omega, he was wiping Jimin down with a warm cloth, or coaxing water down his throat, or feeding him small bites of food with big, rough hands. One morning, after knotting the omega for half the night, Jeongguk carried him to the kitchen and set him on a counter like he weighed nothing. He held a bowl of rice up to his mouth and made a low sound of approval every time Jimin took a bite.

“Good boy,” Jeongguk rumbled, thumb brushing the corner of Jimin’s lips to wipe away a stray grain. “Need you strong for me.”

Jimin flushed and tried to ignore the way the words played into his omega’s need for praise from a strong, capable alpha. Deep into his rut, it was obvious in Jeongguk’s demeanor and words that he was being led by his instincts alone—even in these small moments. Despite knowing that, Jimin’s heart thumped against his better judgment. He tried to joke the feelings away, his voice still hoarse from his throat being used by Jeongguk earlier in the day. “Strong enough to keep up with you? I don’t think anyone could be held to such a standard.”

Jeongguk smirked against his temple, nosing at his hair like he just wanted to breathe in Jimin’s rose scent. “You’re keeping up just fine.”

A day or so later, when the worst of the rut began to ebb, Jeongguk grew slower, softer—everything got more… intimate. 

His hands lingered longer when he washed Jimin’s skin, dragging the towel in steady, reverent passes. His kisses turned unhurried, mouth pressed against Jimin’s jaw and collarbone without the sharp press of teeth. They still tangled together constantly, still sought each other’s body heat, but it wasn’t quite as frantic.

On one of those hazy afternoons right near the end, Jimin sat curled on the couch in nothing but one of Jeongguk’s shirts, legs tucked under himself as he traced a framed photograph on a nearby wall with his eyes. It was of a towering building made entirely of glass and steel, caught at golden hour.

“You did this?” he asked, voice quiet, not wanting to disrupt the peaceful atmosphere.

Jeongguk glanced up from where he was fixing them both tea in the adjacent kitchen. Shirtless and standing in nothing but low-clinging sweatpants, he peered over his shoulder, looking at where Jimin was staring. “Not just the photo, no. But the building—that was me.”

Jimin blinked, lips parting. “You… built it?”

“I designed it,” Jeongguk corrected with a shrug, padding over on bare feet and passing a mug to the omega, his own in hand. “I’m an architect. Sorry, I don’t think I ever mentioned.”

“You’re kidding.” Jimin took the mug and let the steam warm his face as he studied the picture again. It seemed different suddenly, knowing that Jeongguk thought of the idea for the structure and then designed it, allowing it to be brought into reality. After a tentative sip from the hot drink, he voiced, “That’s… incredible.”

Jeongguk chuckled and stood nearby—still needing to be in close quarters because of his lingering rut. He rubbed at the back of his neck, wearing a look of sheepishness that the omega had never seen before. “I, uh… guess so. My siblings always thought it was nerdy, though. It is more math than people would expect, so it’s a fair conclusion to draw, honestly.”

Jimin’s attention snapped back to him, curiosity bright even through the haze of bond-heavy satisfaction. Interested in the conversation, he set the offered mug of tea back down onto the coffee table. “Wait. You have siblings? I had no idea.”

“Two older brothers. They both live in Busan. That’s where we grew up,” the alpha offered easily before crouching down beside the omega, absently discarding his mug to a side table on the way. His scent softened at the same time that his dark eyes did—both rich yet steady. “What about you?”

“Also, Busan,” Jimin laughed, his smile curled, and his eyes crinkled, his expression morphing into something playful and fond. “No wonder we don’t get along at all.”

“At all. God, what are we gonna do about that?” Jeongguk teased back, and Jimin shoved weakly at his chest with a laugh, his fingers tingling when they touched scorching hot, smooth skin.

Their gazes met. Jimin slid his hand down to the alpha’s tight abdomen and bit down on his plush, bottom lip. His voice dropped when he offered, “Mmh. I can think of one thing…”

Jeongguk’s eyes glimmered with interest, and he reached out to press his hand over the top of the omega’s. His smile was breathtaking, especially when it was paired with a dark brow lifting. “Oh, yeah? Tell me.”

“Why tell you when I can just…” Jimin drifted off, leaning over and catching the alpha in a kiss.

Reciprocating immediately, Jeongguk pulled the omega into his arms and devoured him whole, quickly making their makeout session hot and heavy. Strong arms kept Jimin close while hands wandered around his body, working up the fabric of the alpha’s shirt and sliding along his flushed, pretty body.

“‘M gonna take you right here,” the alpha revealed between rushed, sloppy kisses, getting them both to sink into the cushions of the sofa until Jeongguk was hovering over the omega, teasing him until the familiar scent of slick pierced the air.

Jimin gasped at the unvarnished tone, getting more turned on by the alpha’s assuredness. “J-Jeongguk…”

His hands roamed with purpose and care, memorizing the lines of the omega’s body as if he hadn’t already touched him a hundred times over. Their bodies slotted together easily, and they moved in sync, their breaths shared in the breadth of space between their mouths as they fell into their familiar pattern.

Jimin remembered clutching at Jeongguk’s shoulders and dragging his nails down muscular arms. He recalls the rhythm of their hips moving together in time until he thought he might burst because of how good it felt—because of how close they were. 

It felt, at least to the omega, that this time was less about the rut and more about each other. The haze of the alpha’s rut was still present, but it was waning.

They were sharing the kind of intimacy that made Jimin shiver for reasons beyond anything physical. Jeongguk’s forehead rested against his, and he swallowed the omega’s pitiful moans. Dark, watchful eyes took in every twist of Jimin’s expression, memorizing the way he looked as he fell apart. And when Jimin came with a knot expanding inside of him, it was with Jeongguk’s hand in his hair and the omega’s name slipping past his lips in an airy groan.

At the tail end of his rut, when exhaustion and satisfaction had settled over them both like a blanket, Jeongguk lifted Jimin into his arms and carried him into the bathroom. The light was dim, and Jeongguk was careful as he eased them both into the tub. The steam rose around them as the bath filled, allowing warm water to lap at their thighs.

Jimin straddled him there, legs on either side of the alpha’s as he got comfortable in his lap—both of them as bare as the day they entered the world. The water sloshed back and forth as they got settled, and the alpha’s hands were firm at his hips, guiding him down slowly and steadily. 

The wet slide of their bodies together was almost too much—too raw—but Jeongguk steadied Jimin with kisses that were open-mouthed against his throat and jaw, relaxing him and allowing him to live in the moment. Their movements were languid, the urgency finally gone and replaced by something gentler, yet no less overwhelming.

Jeongguk’s knot had hardly settled from the last round, but the alpha guided himself back inside anyway—both of them well aware that Jimin was stretched out enough to take it. The way he filled the omega with his cock was slow but inevitable, making Jimin shiver and cling tight, his moans echoing off the tiles.

“Last time,” Jeongguk murmured into his hair, keeping him steady in his lap as he bottomed out. “Want to fill you up one more time.”

Jimin could only nod, lips parted, voice breaking soft and sweet. “Nnh. Please, Jeongguk.”

The alpha did exactly what he said he was going to.

He rocked up into the omega, deliberate and sure, causing the bathwater to slosh around in the tub as his scent infiltrated every corner of the small room. Jimin sank into the sensation—into him—until all that existed was vetiver and heat and the steady, grounding strength of Jeongguk’s arms keeping him close like he couldn’t stand the thought of him any further.

When it was finally over—after Jeongguk kissed him until he was breathless, and filled him to the brim—the rut haze had burned away almost completely.

They sat there for a long time after, catching their breath and letting the aftershocks settle.

By the time Jeongguk finally stirred, his knot had gone down, the water had long gone lukewarm, and their skin was wrinkled from soaking too long. He kissed the damp hair at Jimin’s temple before easing him up and out of the tub with great care. The omega let himself be carried, limp and pliant, to the edge of the bed where a pile of towels was waiting close by in preparation for their arrival—something the alpha had done in the days prior, just in case they needed them.

Jeongguk set him down before wrapping the fluffiest one around his shoulders. “Dry off. I don’t want you catching a cold,” he advised, voice rough and low, but still somehow gentle in a way that made Jimin’s chest ache.

The omega obeyed, dragging the towel across his back and chest while Jeongguk knelt to rub another one down his calves and feet after wrapping one of his own around his waist. 

They didn’t talk much, but the silence wasn’t heavy—it was comfortable and easy. Every so often, Jimin caught Jeongguk’s eyes on him, lingering as if to commit the sight of the omega flushed and soft-haired under dim bedroom light to memory.

After drying off, Jimin pulled one of his own shirts on, followed by a pair of clean sweats that Jeongguk fished out of the omega’s bag. Despite being sealed away for the entirety of the rut, his clothes smelled of vetiver. Jimin rolled absent-mindedly at the strings of his pants, fingers fussing more than necessary as something akin to giddy satisfaction soared in his chest at the thought of smelling like Jeongguk when he eventually went back to his own home. It was hard not to think about it after a week of his omega being indulged by having an alpha so close.

Jeongguk dressed more slowly than Jimin. He tugged on boxers and a black t-shirt, his muscles shifting with every movement.

Jimin’s eyes betrayed him; they flicked down the line of the alpha’s back, over the curve of his broad shoulders. Without trying, flashes of the last few days kept slipping into Jimin’s mind: Jeongguk caging him in with his knot buried deep inside, Jeongguk laughing softly when Jimin whined for another round, Jeongguk’s teeth scraping down his neck in the way he knew made Jimin shiver. The memories made him feel warm all over again, threatening to disrupt the relaxed atmosphere.

By the time Jeongguk finished pulling socks over his feet, the omega was sitting at the edge of the bed with his hands folded in his lap, reluctant to move. He knew he couldn’t linger forever. Life had to return to normal—whatever normal meant, after this.

They were sort of… even now. Jimin’s heat, Jeongguk’s rut—they didn’t “owe” each other anything. And neither one had mentioned doing this again, or making it a regular thing.

But the omega knew this moment was still too fresh, and that it probably wasn’t the best time to mention the concept of a “next time”. So, he swallowed the comments itching to come out and settled on what he knew should come next.

“I should…” he began, but the words trailed off despite himself.

Jeongguk looked up from where he was lacing his sweatpants, expression unreadable but not cold. He nodded once, slowly, and then stood. “Yeah. Sure. You should, um,  rest at your place—be surrounded with your own scent and stuff again. That’s probably best.”

Jimin hummed in agreement, a small sound, and stood up too. He smoothed down the front of his shirt as if it mattered, and followed the alpha out of the room and through the apartment.

It stunk of sex, and everything was in disarray. He winced, feeling bad for the cleanup that the alpha had to do.

When they reached the door, Jimin hesitated, twisting the strap of his bag.

“So…”

Jeongguk’s arms were crossed, and the exhaustion was evident on his face. Even so, he smiled softly. 

“Thanks,” he said quietly. “For, you know… everything.”

Jimin’s shoulders relaxed, and his lips turned up on one side. “Anytime.”

The alpha’s scent curled around him one last time—the vetiver grounding and thick—and the omega found himself smiling faintly, even as he slipped into the hallway. 

They exchanged quick, polite goodbyes. Jeongguk said he’d message the omega to check on how he was doing later, and they both smiled at one another one last time, until the alpha’s door finally closed with a muted click.

When Jimin got back into his home, he just stood in the entryway for a moment, breathing in his own rose-tinged air, already missing the way Jeongguk’s scent was in everything back at his place.

He didn’t know what that meant, and he didn’t have the capacity to worry about it right now.

After a week of marathon sex, all Jimin could do at the current moment was flop down into his own bed and groan loudly. Without thinking, he tugged the fabric of his shirt up to his nose and breathed in the deep, lingering stench of alpha.

His cheeks heated when he realized what he was doing, and he sighed.

“Park Jimin, get your shit together.”

Chapter Text

For the first week after the rut they spent together, Jimin lived with a growing sense of unease.

Every time he crept out of his apartment and passed Jeongguk’s door, he held his breath. Every time he caught a faint thread of vetiver in the hall, he wondered if things had already quietly ended between him and the alpha. Neither of them mentioned anything about next time. Maybe spending their cycles together was just as simple as it was meant to be; biology, instinct, and a neighborly favor that had gotten a little out of hand.

He told himself he was fine with that, because he should’ve been.

And yet, every time his phone lit up, he half-hoped it would be Jeongguk.

In the first week, each notification was from someone else. Then, on the Sunday following the end of the alpha’s rut, a text finally came—the one Jimin had been waiting for, whether he was willing to admit that or not.

His phone pinged in his lap late that evening. Cozied up on the couch in the middle of a documentary, the omega quickly paused the show to check the notification.

From: Jeongguk

Hey.

Are you free right now?

Jimin’s pulse quickened. He stared at the message and read it three times over before formulating a reply.

To: Jeongguk

Yeah

What’s up?

He held his phone in his hands and eyed the screen, waiting for a text bubble to indicate that the alpha was replying, but it never came.

A minute later, there was a knock on his door.

Scrambling, Jimin got up from the sofa, reached the entryway, and turned the doorknob without looking.

There, Jeongguk stood in the hall with damp hair as though he’d just showered, casual wear on. He smelled clean—sharp vetiver mixed with an earthy soap. The omega’s mouth suddenly felt dry.

“Hey,” the alpha said in a relaxed tone, like they hadn’t just spent days knotted together. “Sorry for popping up unannounced. It’s just… I wanted to check in.”

Jimin blinked, and then, silently, he drew the door back and stepped to the side to let the alpha in.

The door closed with a sharp clicking sound, and left both men standing there with nothing left to put distance between them and the thick tension in the air. Jimin’s apartment suddenly felt small and far too quiet with Jeongguk in it. 

The alpha glanced around, taking in the space. It was probably different, being here without obvious signs of heat preparation. It was tidier, and Jimin now only had a reasonable number of pillows on his couch.

Clearing his throat, the omega asked, “Um, can I get you a drink or anything? I have water or coffee, or—”

“I’m okay. Thanks,” Jeongguk said politely. He walked further in before settling near the kitchen counter, thick arms folded loosely across his broad chest. His eyes found the omega, and his expression softened almost imperceptibly. “How are you doing? Any lingering symptoms? Is your omega feeling okay?”

“I’m fine,” Jimin said, but the answer was too fast, too tight. He fiddled with the hem of his shirt as he forced his voice to lighten. “Better than fine, actually. What about you?”

“The same, I’d say.” Jeongguk nodded once, but his eyes stayed on the omega, gaze steady and unreadable. 

The silence stretched between them for a long moment.

Then, in a low voice, Jeongguk finally spoke again:

“Do you… want to do it again? Regularly, I mean. I come over for your heat, you come over to my place during my rut?”

The words sent a shiver straight through Jimin. His breath caught in his throat. He’d been waiting for this exact question—yet hearing it out loud seemed to steal the ground straight out from underneath his feet.

“I—” Jimin faltered, fiddling with the sleeves of his sweatshirt. It was cold enough to be wearing inside his apartment during early spring, and yet he suddenly felt suffocatingly hot with it on. “Yeah. I’d… definitely like that.”

Jeongguk’s mouth curved, the barest hint of a smile tugging at one corner. His scent unfurled, revealing something warm and pleased. “Good. Me too.”

“So… that would make us cycle partners?”

The alpha nodded once more, his tongue darting out to run along his bottom lip before he said, “It would. But, uh…” He looked away, continuing, “I feel like it’s important to say before you agree that… I’d want it to be exclusive.”

That shocked the omega. It’s not that Jimin had plans to sleep with someone else, but that didn’t mean that he anticipated Jeongguk outright saying he wanted to set that boundary. Curious, he pressed, “I’m okay with that, but can I ask why?”

Jeongguk’s tongue poked into the side of one cheek and, after a second, his gaze fell to the omega again. “It’d make things easier. We wouldn’t have to get tested as often, and I know that at least for me, it’d keep my wolf from getting so possessive during my rut.”

But I didn’t mind that, Jimin wanted to say, but managed to bite his tongue. Instead, he offered an articulate, “Right.”

Luckily, Jeongguk filled the space where the omega held his words.

“I know neither of us is looking to date anyone right now,” he started, and it had Jimin’s lips pursing, not sure where he was going with the statement. Dark eyes fell to him again. He shrugged, tone casual as he elaborated, “We can just break it off if something changes in the future.”

“Yeah, of course,” Jimin readily offered in response, ignoring how tight his chest felt at the idea of seizing something they’d hardly started.

Even from a few feet away, the omega could see how hard the alpha swallowed. “So, we’re on the same page. You’re down to be cycle partners?”

It was Jimin’s turn to nod.

The alpha’s gaze softened, and for a moment, Jimin thought he might reach out. That moment never came, but the weight of their future together hung between them, binding them in a way that felt startlingly secure.

“It’s settled then.” Jeongguk pushed off the counter. He cleared his throat. “I, uh, guess I should get going—let you enjoy your day off.”

“Right. Sure,” Jimin said, walking to the door with him. “You have work tomorrow?”

The alpha pocketed one hand and let the other find the cool doorknob. “Yeah. I work from home most of the time, though, so…”

The omega smiled. “Oh, I didn’t know that. I work remotely, too.”

Jeongguk’s lips pulled up on one side, and he bit back an incoming smile. Amusement was evident in his tone when he said, “Yeah, I, um, noticed that during your heat.”

Jimin frowned, confusion obvious in the way he tilted his head. “What? How?”

The alpha’s dark brows shot up. His shit-eating grin spread. “Do you… not remember what we did in your office?”

All at once, memories came rushing back, and embarrassment flooded the omega. His face got hot as he remembered them walking back from the kitchen after a water break and not making it far enough to get to the bedroom, so Jeongguk tugged Jimin into the nearest room, which just so happened to be his home office. There, the omega was bent over his own desk and fucked within an inch of his life.

“Oh. Right,” Jimin squeaked out, too rattled to manage much else.

Jeongguk’s laugh had him tossing his head back, a charming smile on display as he pulled the door open. “Yeah, in the middle somewhere, I remember realizing you must've worked from home.”

Jimin’s hand went to cover his face as the mortification settled in. “Right... Um, well, see you later?”

“Bye, Jimin,” the alpha said lightly, the words finalized by the soft latch of the door closing behind him as he headed back to his own apartment.

The omega was left to stand there with a racing heart and a renewed fervor—excited for what was to come next.

The weeks that followed developed into something Jimin hadn't been anticipating. Where he thought he'd only catch little glimpses of the alpha as they grew closer to his next heat cycle, the exact opposite happened, and he ended up seeing Jeongguk more than ever before.

It seemed that settling on an agreement allowed for some of the unease between them to wash away like sand into the ocean. In turn, Jimin saw Jeongguk much more often. The alpha began to weave himself into the omega's days in quiet ways.

At first, it was simple texts that pinged through at random hours. From the simple, 'How's your day?' to the occasional, 'I saw this cat out today and thought you might want to see it too, since I know you like them,' with an adorable image attached.

Jimin would smile at each one, happy to match Jeongguk's energy and talk to him about mundane things such as their plans for the day or how work had been over the last week. He liked being out for groceries and feeling his phone vibrate in his pocket, knowing it was Jeongguk replying to a meme he sent, or getting out of the shower to a clever reply from the alpha to something he said.

They weren't long conversations, but they had Jimin's heart racing every time he picked up his phone, whether he wanted to admit it or not. He passed it off as being giddy over a new, developing friendship.

Then, Jeongguk invented an excuse one evening during the second week of May—exactly three weeks after his rut was over.

From: Jeongguk

I made too much japchae

Wanna come over and help me finish it?

Jimin was in bed when he got the messages. He had been in the middle of playing Animal Crossing and procrastinating making his own dinner, but the moment he saw the texts, he was biting back a smile and slipping on his shoes, responding to the alpha as he made his way to the front door.

To: Jeongguk

Only if you promise me trashy reality TV and beer

From: Jeongguk

Hmm, yeah, I think I can manage that much

Now get over here before I start 1000-Pound Sisters without you

Grinning, Jimin rushed out of his own apartment and crossed the short distance of the hall to get to Jeongguk's. He was only able to knock once before there was a gust of air, and the door was drawing back to reveal the alpha. He was dressed in loungewear, his hair was damp from a recent shower, and he looked as hot as ever.

They exchanged playful looks and, silently, the alpha stepped back to let Jimin in.

It was easy to walk in. It was easy to make jokes and get themselves set up in the living room with alcohol and food, and watch television while they ate. They sat cross-legged in front of the coffee table, shoulders brushing and chopsticks occasionally knocking when they both reached for the same thing at the same time.

When Jeongguk teased him for stealing the last dumpling, Jimin rolled his eyes but gave the alpha a comment back about how he had the capacity to put away vegetables like a small horse, so Jimin's japchae was more noodles than anything. The bratty remark had the alpha tossing his head back with laughter, and had Jimin looking on with a sense of wonder at how anyone could be so handsome.

He got to experience Jeongguk's apartment in a way he didn't during the rut. While sharing food and talking, Jimin learned the rhythms of the alpha's home intimately: the faint hum of the fridge, the way the evening sun looked as it poured in through the living room window, the vetiver scent sunk deep into every wall and piece of furniture.

He also got to learn the way Jeongguk looked when he was truly relaxed—without any intense wolf pheromones in the air. His hair was tied back, his sleeves pushed up to the elbows as he stirred noodles and shifted side plates around, and an easygoing smile on his face.

It was all so normal—so simple. And yet, beneath the easy dinner and casualness of their texts, Jimin felt something restless stirring within himself. He wanted more. He couldn't put a pin on exactly what that meant, but what he did know was that he wanted to feel the weight of Jeongguk's hand at the small of his back. He knew he wanted to hear the way he sounded first thing in the morning again. He wanted the steady reassurance of his scent wrapping around him on nights when his own apartment felt too empty.

For the first time, Jimin found himself impatient for his heat. He was eager—not just for the physical relief, but because it meant more time with Jeongguk. It meant getting to experience those little idiosyncrasies again—ones that Jimin was admittedly coming to like more and more each time.

Spring began to wane, and Jimin continued to see the alpha for their impromptu dinners and late-night movies. Outside, the breezes gradually became warmer, and Jimin traded in his pants and sweaters for shorts and t-shirts.

On dusky evening, right around the time the fluorescents in their hallway clocked in for their shift, Jimin locked the door to his apartment and stepped on the elevator, on his way out to visit some friends for karaoke and soju.

He checked a few texts and hummed as the metal box moved slowly down the floors, excited to enjoy a night out for the first time in over two weeks. Since he was taking so much time off for his cycle—and now Jeongguk’s too—he’d been working on more projects than usual to stay ahead of things. He was ready for the evening out.

Eventually, the elevator stopped, and the doors began to open. Having learned his lesson after last time, Jimin shifted the bag on his shoulder and looked up as he stepped out, surprised to come face-to-face with familiar dark eyes.

Jeongguk.

His helmet was tucked under one arm, he had a leather jacket on that was half-unzipped, and his hair was tousled like he’d been riding his bike for a while. His smile was instant when he saw Jimin, charming and easy, and he stepped back to allow the omega more space.

Jimin approached him and heard the distant whirl of the doors closing again when Jeongguk didn’t get on. Vetiver infiltrated his nose as the distance closed, and his shoulder unconsciously relaxed. Fidgeting with the hem of his light-toned shirt, the omega greeted, “Hi.”

“Hey,” the alpha said, voice deep and warm. “Wasn’t expecting to catch you here.”

The omega smiled back on reflex, but the curve of it faltered as another scent hit him—something soft and unmistakable. 

It was the scent of another omega.

Sweet and cloying, it lingered in Jeongguk’s hair and on his jacket. It wrapped faintly around the original vetiver. It wasn’t strong enough to be overwhelming, but it was pungent enough to make the omega’s stomach twist.

He dropped his gaze to the floor and gripped the strap of his bag tighter.

It wasn’t his place to get upset or ask, or even to feel this way in the first place. They weren’t together. They’d agreed to be neighbors and casual friends helping through cycles, and nothing more.

Despite knowing that, jealousy still bloomed hot and unbidden in his chest, and roses began turning thorny.

“Are you coming back from a ride?” Jimin asked, trying to disguise the strain in his voice.

“Yeah,” Jeongguk confirmed, shifting the helmet in his arm. His scent pulsed stronger, his pheromones conveying something content and at ease. “I met up with some friends. Where are you headed to?”

The elevator hummed as it settled back into place behind closed doors, meaning everything was quiet aside from the sound of shifting cables, and Jimin’s pulse thudding a little too fast, causing him to be privy to the blood rushing through his ears. He looked back at the alpha, who seemed relaxed as he leaned over to press the button to open the elevator again. His eyes were bright as he cast that captivating expression at the omega—relaxed like he hadn’t brought another omega’s scent home with him.

“Same as you, pretty much,” Jimin replied, trying hard to keep his tone even. His throat felt tight all of a sudden. He gestured behind them, towards the front doors of the building. “Some friends invited me to this new karaoke place that just opened up, so I’m going there now.”

“Oh, no kidding. That spot a few blocks away? I remember seeing a sign about it a while ago, but I didn’t know they’d opened,” the alpha said conversationally as the doors to the elevator began opening once more. “I hope you guys have fun. I could always give you a ride if you want—”

“No, no. It’s okay. I couldn’t ask that of you, and it’s not far anyway.” Jimin waved him off, embarrassed and genuinely not knowing how much more he could take of smelling a random omega all over the alpha who was warming his bed just a few weeks ago.

“If you’re sure, but the offer is always there—just so you know.”

The kind smile Jeongguk gave him then made Jimin want to drop himself into a hole and hide there. How could he feel upset right now when the alpha was being just as polite and gentle as always? It felt selfish. It felt wrong.

Without meaning to, his scent soured, and his fake smile faltered. He caught it a second later, but it was already too late.

Jeongguk tilted his head, studying him, a small crease appearing between his brows. He reached out to touch the cold metal of one of the doors, holding the elevator open. “Are you okay?”

Jimin forced his expression to lift, fingers knuckle-white as he clutched his phone in one hand and the strap of his bag in the other. “Yeah, sorry. I‘m just a little tired, I think. I’m excited to go hang out with them, but I’ve been working all day, so…”

It wasn’t a lie, and it seemed like enough for Jeongguk to believe him.

The alpha gave him another once-over. “Sure. Well, I hope you can relax and have fun for the rest of the night then. You deserve it. I’ll see you later?”

The elevator dinged in warning that Jeongguk needed to get on or else stop holding the doors closed. Jimin nodded and stepped further away, offering a small wave over his shoulder.

“Yeah, see you later. Bye, Jeongguk.”

“Be safe,” Jeongguk called after him. “And text me if you change your mind about that ride, okay? People are idiots when it’s late on the weekends like this.”

Unable to help himself, Jimin felt a speck of something warm flood him at the concern in the alpha’s tone. He looked back and, with a genuine smile, said, “I will. Thanks, Gguk.”

Jeongguk was already stepping onto the elevator when he said it, and the omega saw him quickly turn around to look at him, but the doors slid shut before Jimin could even see his face—let alone know what he was going to say back, and it was only afterwards that Jimin realized he had called the alpha a nickname for the first time.

As he walked out of the apartment building, Jimin tried to ignore the echo of vetiver and someone else’s sweetness circling him after being so close to Jeongguk. His chest ached with something he knew well enough to name, but something he was too scared to name because he knew he had no right to.

But when he arrived back home hours later, healthily drunk after singing and being brought back by taxi, Jimin found himself pressing his face into his own pillow in bed, desperate to forget the smell of that random omega that was entangled up with the vetiver he’s grown so fond of.

When Jimin woke up, it was with a hangover and the beginnings of a feverish heat itching just below the surface of his skin.

Over the next week, the signs of his impending heat only got more vocal: irritability, fatigue, and headaches. At that same time, the memory of the meeting with Jeongguk just outside the elevator stuck with the omega like a thorn pricked in his side.

He wished it didn’t, but it felt like something out of his control. Every time his mind wandered, he thought about the faint, foreign smell that clung to Jeongguk’s jacket, and the way the alpha’s smile was so bright and unbothered. It had his chest twisting with something ugly.

Jimin tried to pass it off as his wolf getting possessive over the alpha they’d been spending their cycles with since he was in pre-heat. The timing, after all, was perfect. And yet, the acknowledgement of his jealousy nagged in his mind like his brain was trying to tell him something.

In the days leading up to his heat, Jimin would typically be deep in his routine; doing overtime assignments for work to make up for the time he’d be taking off, organizing his house so that the haze of the heat didn’t affect his surroundings too drastically—things of that nature. However, he was thrown off this time.

Where he should have been preparing and resting, his thoughts were causing chaos in his life. He was procrastinating trips to the store, lazing about his apartment when he should have been cleaning, and—the worst part—no matter what he put his time and energy into, all of his thoughts eventually went back to Jeongguk, Jeongguk, and Jeongguk again.

Previously, he would think of Jeongguk before they were meant to spend a cycle together, and nearly all of his thoughts would be purely sexual; images flashing through his mind of what they’d do together, an open eagerness to see the alpha again because the sex would be good, and other baroque thoughts of what the alpha could do to him. All very normal things.

What wasn’t normal was the intense craving the omega seemed to have for him this time around. It didn’t feel driven by necessity or born out of an innocent attraction. No, Jimin yearned for him, obsessed over him. It felt like the tips of his fingers were on fire with the need to touch the alpha, like his mouth was salivating over the idea of finally getting to mark the alpha’s skin again.

And the closer it got to Jimin’s heat, the more susceptible he became to wanting to make those dreams a reality.

Hours before his heat was set to begin, a rapt knock came at his door.

One part of Jimin—the human side—almost wanted to ignore it. He was embarrassed at how needy and undone he already felt, and only grew more ashamed at the thought of how he would become. But the majority of him was already too affected by his oncoming heat, and so when a familiar, grounding voice came muffled through the door, he knew his human instinct was fighting a losing battle.

“Special delivery for Park Jimin.”

Padding through the apartment on bare feet, Jimin couldn’t help the smile that worked its way onto his face as he got to the door. When he pulled it open and found Jeongguk leaning on his door frame, his eyes began to glimmer with mirth, and he said, “You’re an idiot.”

The alpha just grinned and pushed off the frame to stand at his full height. “You kind of like it.”

Jimin ignored the comment and took in the sight of him, a familiar heat thrumming at his insides as he stepped aside and let the younger man into the apartment.

Jeongguk was dressed in casual streetwear. His hair was mussed from the wind outside, and his vetiver scent was clinging to him like a second layer of clothing. He had a bag in one tattooed hand, outlining pill bottles and sweet snacks. Jimin had sent him a text that morning to let him know his heat would hit in the evening. Still, he never mentioned needing supplies—and he certainly didn’t remember ever telling the alpha exactly what suppressants and food he liked for his heat. Those were things he must have just picked up on at some point in the last few months.

“Heat kit delivery,” Jeongguk said lightly, that charming smile tugging at his lips as he lifted the bag in offering and passed it off to the omega. “Just a few things, though. I brought suppressants, lube, and some snacks. Figured we’d need them sooner or later.”

With deft fingers, Jimin assessed the collection. His chest tightened, and he gave the alpha a soft look, gratitude lacing his words when he said, “Thank you. How did you even know to grab this stuff?”

The alpha waved him off and walked into the apartment. “Saw what brands you got before—didn’t see you leave the house for a few days, so I assumed we might need them, and even if we didn’t, they’re good to have.”

“Have you been stalking me?” Jimin asked, shooting an amused look in the alpha's direction. “You noticed I haven’t left, huh?”

Jeongguk rolled his eyes, but there was a smile on his face when he defended, “I usually work from home, too, you know. So, I’m always right across the hall, and these walls are thin—as we both know, by the way, since we got two noise complaints during my last rut, because I was doing that thing with my tongue that you really seem to like—”

“I remember. Thanks,” Jimin shot down, heat rushing through him at the memory.

“Plus, I’ve noticed you go to the store around the same time every week—which you didn’t do this week, so…”

The omega’s brows rose. “You are not helping your case by telling me you’ve picked up on my shopping routine.”

There was an exasperated groan, and Jimin snickered, laughing under his breath.

Jeongguk was quick to make himself at home, setting down the bag of clothes he brought—not that he’d be wearing very many of them—and working his way over to the kitchen. He looked through the pantry and fridge, making sure Jimin meal prepped beforehand so they wouldn’t get sidetracked during the heat. As the omega closed the door, Jeongguk called over to him, “Do you need me to do anything? It looks like you’ve got everything pretty much covered.”

“Bring water and extra towels to the room, maybe?” Jimin offered, trying hard to focus on the upcoming heat and not how broad the alpha looked in his small kitchen. He fiddled with the strings of the bag clutched in his hands. “That’s the only thing I haven’t done yet.”

Jeongguk nodded, closing the refrigerator and dutifully starting on the task he was given. He grabbed the water bottles and headed in the direction of the bedroom. “You’ve got it.”

He was always so… proactive. Quick to help, always looking to please—trying to make Jimin’s life easier during these cycles. And he knew that’s the whole reason Jeongguk was here—to make this easier. He knew that this was all just a part of it. But still, it had the omega subconsciously emitting pheromones that expressed the satisfaction and desire he felt towards the alpha. He felt his body relax, thankful for having Jeongguk around at times like this when he felt so out of control.

And that had him thinking back to the day in the elevator—thinking about that random omega’s scent all over the alpha that was now in his apartment, neatly setting towels and water by his nested bed.

Something in Jimin unraveled at the sight of him carefully placing everything down, humming to himself as he shuffled around the room with the omega in the open doorway.

He couldn’t help himself when he thought about that strange omega’s scent on him again.

Jealously coiled tight in his stomach—hot and rancid. His rose scent twinged sourly, and the alpha glanced over his shoulder, dark brows knitting together at the sight of the antsy omega walking over. Jeongguk turned to face Jimin as the blonde man haphazardly tossed the bag onto the floor. “Jimin? What’s wrong—”

There wasn’t even a chance for him to get his sentence out. The omega pressed against him and cupped either side of his face, crashing their mouths together in a desperate kiss. His rose scent flared, growing heady.

Immediately, hands went to Jimin’s slim waist, and after a startled sound, Jeongguk laughed, low and muffled. There was a thud as the alpha’s back collided with the closest wall. Between rushed kisses, he managed, “Mm—Fuck, angel. We’ve still got time. Slow down—”

“Don’t want to,” Jimin said while pouting against his mouth, already pawing at his jacket and shoving it down his shoulders. “Need you now.”

The jacket slid to the ground with a muted sound as Jeongguk helped shrug it off. Once it was gone, the alpha tugged the omega closer and cupped the nape of his neck, angling them so they could deepen the kisses. Everything was messy and wet, and it was more teeth than finesse. When Jimin greedily shoved the alpha’s shirt up and began skimming his hands all over his chest and abs like he couldn’t get enough, Jeongguk groaned.

The shirt went quickly enough and left Jeongguk standing there in just low-hung sweatpants and socks. Jimin’s mouth watered at the sight of him, and without a second of hesitation, he sank to his knees in front of the alpha.

Jeongguk tracked his movements, his eyes going wide at the sight of the omega as he peered up at him, already untying the string of his sweatpants. When Jimin hooked his fingers into the waistband and pressed his face forward to nuzzle his cheek against the alpha’s quickly hardening cock, Jeongguk tossed his head back with a hushed curse, turned on at the shameless display.

“Want you in my mouth, alpha,” Jimin purred, slick already soaking into his underwear beneath the thin layer of clothes he had on. He could feel the thrum of the heat lingering just under his skin, but that couldn’t be blamed for the way he was acting now—this was purely Jimin and his own need to have the alpha again.

Fingers slid into the omega’s hair, threading through at the scalp and then pulling. Jimin sucked in a bout of air and looked back up at the alpha, who was staring down at him with pure lust, jaw tight. Without waiting for permission, the omega worked the sweatpants and underwear down at the same time. Neither of them bothered kicking them away—Jeongguk merely slipped a foot out of the bunched-up fabric, so he had mobility.

Completely hard now, the alpha’s cock sprang up and curved towards his navel at the top. Jimin’s mouth watered at the sight as arousal swirled in his abdomen. He didn’t hesitate—immediately scooting forward and wrapping his lips around it. His mouth was so wet already from the vicious kissing that the slide to go deeper was slick and easy. He sucked around the head and pressed further, humming happily at the heavy weight of it on his tongue.

Jeongguk swore under his breath. Sounding equal parts amused and aroused, he asked, “What’s gotten into you? You’re not even in heat yet.”

Jimin ignored the question in favor of sinking deeper, feeling a sense of accomplishment when his nose met the alpha’s body. Jeongguk petted his hair, making a pleased sound when the omega’s tongue licked all around the sensitive underside of his cock. “Hmm. Missed me that much, baby?”

Humming in agreement, Jimin came back up and focused on the sucking, bringing a hand up to grip around the base of the alpha to start stroking alongside the bobbing of his head. His tongue continued working the entire time, swiveling around his tip and swiping at beads of precum as they escaped.

The alpha let him do what he wanted and leaned back against the wall, enjoying the moment. His eyes closed as his head met the hard surface. He casually admitted, “I missed you, too, you know. Kept thinking about how you sounded last time. How you looked when you came apart under me.”

Jimin’s breath stuttered, his lashes fluttering as he took the alpha deep into his throat.

The hand in his hair stroked sweetly through the locks—a stark contrast to the sinful sight of spit running down the omega’s chin as he bobbed his head up and down in a steady rhythm, a shiver racking down his spine at the sensation of the alpha touching him like that.

“I constantly think about you. You’re not someone easy to forget.”

The confession had the omega pulling off just to suck in a breath and stare up at the alpha. He found that Jeongguk’s dark eyes were once again on him. Teasingly, Jimin stroked him with one hand—methodical, up and down at a slow pace—as he kissed the alpha’s hip. In a quiet voice, he noted, “You say that like you’ve been trying to.”

Jeongguk’s lips curved up on one side, and he lifted a brow. “Trying to what—forget about you?” He shook his head, stroking through Jimin’s hair as he examined his flushed face. “I couldn’t. And I don’t want to anyway.”

A smile etched onto the omega’s face at the flirty response, and it was just as chaste and captivating as the one the alpha returned to him. “Good. Me either.”

Turned on and utterly disarmed, Jimin took Jeongguk back into his mouth, eager for more. It had the alpha swearing under his breath, his eyelashes fluttering as he fought against the urge to close them, clearly more intent on watching the omega kneeling before him instead.

Jimin felt hot,  and not just because of the heat simmering in his nerves. He felt attractive and desired, content to sit and let the alpha fawn over how he looked while he sucked him off. It gave him an unruly sort of satisfaction to see Jeongguk slowly fall apart. With every swipe of his tongue, every twist of his rest and bob of his head, the alpha became more undone. His thighs quivered when Jimin hollowed his cheeks out around the base, and he bit back a moan every time the omega looked up at him with dark, big eyes.

“Fuck,” the alpha eventually swore, shaking his head like the sight before him was unreal. He tugged at Jimin’s hair, and the omega’s own hard cock pulsed from where it was trapped in his pants. “How do you still look so pretty even while doing something like this?”

Pride coursed through the omega, encouraging him to suck harder, to lick more. Saliva made each slide slick and inevitable. It also made everything messier, but he got the sense that he and Jeongguk didn’t mind that—if both of their scents being ripe with arousal was anything to go by.

When the alpha got closer, and his expression shifted—brows pulling together, lips parting around panting breaths, dark eyes rounded at the edges—he looked almost pleading, and Jimin couldn't help himself anymore. He let his free hand sink low until he was gripping his own cock through the fabric of his clothes. Watching Jeongguk’s face as he sucked and stroked, he rubbed his own sensitive dick, sighing around the alpha at the twinge of relief he felt rush through his body over finally having contact where he needed it.

Jeongguk realized what he was doing almost immediately and tilted his head to the sight for a better angle. His scent spiked with something fiery that seemed to burn the vetiver around its edges. “Are you touching yourself, angel?”

Eyes glossed over with pleasure, Jimin looked up at him and hummed in answer, the vibrations making the alpha’s cock twitch in his mouth. He worked his palm faster over himself, shameless now that he had been acknowledged. But Jeongguk didn’t let him get away that easily. His voice dropped lower than before, and he yanked hard at the omega’s hair, asking, “And who gave you permission to do that?”

Desperation clawed at the omega’s insides, and his next noise was indignant. It pulled a chuckle from the alpha. Jimin challenged him with a glare, still working his tongue along the underside of his cock.

The alpha’s expression darkened.

“Hand off.”

Jimin rocked his hips up for more friction and ignored him, whining again as he sucked harder, attempting to distract the alpha.

It didn’t work. Jeongguk fisted his hair in a vice grip that made a shiver run down the omega’s spine, and threatened, “Take your hand off now, Jimin. I won’t ask nicely again.”

Part of Jimin wanted to ignore him—test him to see what he would do—but the other part of him was desperate for more pleasure, and he knew Jeongguk’s habits in bed well enough now to know that not listening would only bring him further from that goal. During the alpha’s last rut, Jimin didn’t listen when he was told not to rut into the bed while getting knotted, and Jeongguk punished him by edging him for an entire day after.

Another shiver coursed through Jimin’s body. He knew Jeongguk wasn't all talk—he'd actually punish him, and Jimin couldn't handle that right now.

So, with reluctance, he took his hand off with a huff and placed it against the alpha’s bare hip instead. That had the alpha laughing again, though it stumbled into a gasp at the end when the omega swirled his tongue around the tip of his cock.

“Annoyed, baby? You’re mad at me now because I made you stop?” Jeongguk asked, voice mocking.

As much as Jimin wanted to tell him off, he was equally as into it. The alpha’s tone and disposition were fulfilling the little itch in the omega’s brain, the part of him that wanted someone to put him in his place—to dominate him. So, he played the role of the bratty omega and narrowed his eyes at the alpha, making it clear how he felt.

Jeongguk smiled and released the harsh grip on his hair, petting through it instead as Jimin continued to work his mouth over him at a steady pace. “Yeah? But if you behave, I’ll give you a special reward.”

That piqued Jimin’s interest. He pressed closer and batted his eyelashes up at the alpha in the sweetest way he could while his mouth was occupied, trying to play coy and convince him to give in.

And, by the light tone of Jeongguk’s chuckle, Jimin could tell that he had convinced him. The alpha brushed Jimin’s hair back and then nodded to him. “Let alpha fuck your pretty mouth and use your throat. Once I come, you get your treat for being good.”

Oh, Jimin could do that. He could definitely do that.

It had been a while since Jeongguk’s cock was buried in his throat, and he was itching to get used again in that way. He shifted his hips, trying to ignore the selfish need to touch himself. He could hold out for a bit longer. He could be good for Jeongguk.

So, he relaxed his throat, trying to coax his gag reflex so that he wouldn’t react when the alpha moved. Stretching his jaw wide and hollowing his cheeks, he looked up at Jeongguk and waited patiently, trying to be perfectly still so that the alpha could take him however he wanted. With a pleased hum, Jeongguk ran a hand through the omega’s soft blonde hair again before threading his fingers into it and holding tight enough to make the omega’s scalp sting deliciously. Then, he cupped Jimin’s jaw with his other hand, stroking his thumb along the omega’s cheek in a deceptively sweet touch.

“Good boy. Stay still for me.” Jeongguk’s words were sultry and velvety smooth. It had the omega’s eyes fluttering, threatening to shut as he began slowly drawing his hips back a second later. Once there was only the tip of the alpha’s cock left in the tight heat of the omega’s mouth, Jeongguk thrusted back in. He didn’t start gently, and didn't give Jimin time to adjust—he knew the omega could take it. So, he immediately set a brutal pace, making sure to bury his cock into the back of Jimin’s throat on each thrust in, using the hold on his hair to angle him and keep him exactly where he wanted.

He used Jimin like a doll, fucking his face until the omega’s vision was blurring from a lack of oxygen, and he had so much saliva building up that it dribbled from his mouth, making him drool around the alpha’s cock in a pathetic display. When Jeongguk could sense that Jimin needed to breathe, he’d pull back just long enough for the omega to suck in a desperate rush of air, before going back to using his throat as if he were no different than a fleshlight.

The entire thing was making Jimin hot, hot, too hot all over.

He kept his hands at the alpha’s thighs and hips, feeling each time Jeongguk thrusted in, trying to be good and still and not think about the slick leaking between his legs or the stiff dick in his pants, pleading for attention.

“Look up at me,” Jeongguk commanded, tone gruff.

Jimin’s eyes blinked open as he followed the order immediately, not having realized he had closed them in the first place. Instantly, tears welled in them and blurred his vision from the way the alpha grunted and sped up, spurred on by the erotic sight of the omega staring up at him with swollen, wet lips, and a cock deep in his throat. Jimin didn’t need a mirror to know he must look so fucked-out right now.

“I’m gonna come,” Jeongguk huffed out, and Jimin only moaned, swallowing around him to make his throat tighter for a second. The alpha swore and threw his head back against the wall, groaning long and loud as his cock pulsed, the head twitching as he began coming in waves, filling the back of Jimin’s throat with hot ropes of cum.

Humming happily, Jimin took all of it like a champ. He stayed perfectly still with his nose pressed into the alpha’s navel, and swallowed every drop of cum as best as he could, thinking eagerly about how he’d only be getting more of it later. Once Jeongguk was done, he drew Jimin off his cock gently, leaving the thick length to bob in front of the omega’s face afterwards, glistening with spit and cum.

For a moment, they remained there and caught their breath. Jeongguk petted through the omega’s hair, smoothing over where he was yanking it before. Then, he caressed his face and ran a thumb over his bottom lip, admiring how red and swollen his mouth was.

“You did so good for me,” he praised quietly. With his hair damp from sweat and a lifted brow, he gently guided the omega to stand and asked, “Are you ready for your reward now, angel? I think you certainly earned it.”

Jimin nodded, his voice feeling far away now.

Jeongguk didn’t request more than that from him. Instead, he hummed and pulled the shaky-legged omega into him, kissing him deeply and tasting himself on his lips. Then, without any warning, he gripped the underside of Jimin’s thighs and pulled him up, prompting him to hang on by wrapping his legs around the alpha’s chest and his hands around the back of his neck.

With a pitched squeak, Jimin let himself be carried over to the bed. Once there, Jeongguk gently broke apart their kissing to place the omega down and nudge him onto his stomach. With skilled hands, he managed to work Jimin’s pants and underwear down his legs. Jimin tried to sit up to remove his shirt next, but Jeongguk flattened his palm out over his back and shoved him down into the bed, not giving him a chance.

“We can worry about that later. For now, you’re going to lie here and take what I give you. Do you understand?”

Jimin nodded, flushed cheek pressed into the sheets. He was so turned on. Jeongguk knew he liked it when their sex was like this. He enjoyed the push-and-pull other times—when he decided to be a bit difficult—but this was his favorite; Jeongguk taking the control out of his hands. It made things simple. Jimin didn’t have to think. He just got to listen and enjoy. He got to drift away, feeling nothing but pleasure and safety in the arms of the alpha.

Jeongguk placed a kiss on his temple. “Good.”

Then, he slid down the length of the omega’s body until his hot breath was ghosting over the small of Jimin’s back, then over the plump flesh of his butt. Jimin only realized what the alpha’s plan was when Jeongguk began kneading his ass on either side, slowly parting the fat so he could admire the winking, wet hole hidden between.

With a gasp, Jimin gripped the soft sheets and arched his back, pleading quietly, “O-Oh, please.”

Jeongguk made an amused sound and kissed the side of his butt. “Please?”

Jimin knew it wouldn’t take much more for his heat to hit, especially at the rate they were going. He wanted to be present for as long as he could with the alpha, but he also wanted to come so badly. He had been forced to wait for too long, and now even just having his dribbling dick pressed into the mattress was torturous. The alpha was skilled with his tongue, and Jimin knew he’d come in no time if he just got his mouth where he wanted it.

“Please,” he whined, lifting his hips to try and get what he wanted. He felt delirious with lust. “I-I’ll come if you—Please, alpha? I need it.”

“You need it, huh?” Jeongguk repeated, mocking him as he dipped his thumb between his legs and rubbed over his hole, refusing to push in even as the omega made a noise.

“I-I deserve it,” Jimin tried, switching tactics. “Did everything you asked. I was good. Y-You promised.”

The alpha hummed like he was mulling it over. “I did promise. So, it would be mean to make you beg a little more for me, wouldn’t it, baby?”

Jimin already knew what he wanted. And he was helpless to do anything but comply.

"Please, please, alpha.” He squirmed, trying hard to contain the desire to rut into the bed. “Eat me out? I wanna come for you.”

Jeongguk made a pained sound and dove down without a single ounce of restraint, practically burying his nose between Jimin’s cheeks just to smell where his arousal was most prominent. He groaned at the mouthwatering rose scent and licked a broad strip over the omega’s entrance, making Jimin let out a breathy moan. “I’ll make you come, angel. Get you to finish all over my tongue, and then I’m going to make you ride me until I knot. I don’t care how tired you get, how shaky your legs are. You’re all mine right now.”

His words rang in the omega’s head. You’re all mine.

And fuck, why did that sound so good to hear? Why did Jimin want to hear it again?

He didn’t get a chance to think about it anymore. Jeongguk worked on opening him up on his tongue, starting with small, patient dips in and out like he was testing the waters. When Jimin was pliant and open to those small touches, he went deeper and deeper, until his nose was against the omega and his tongue was buried deep inside, licking around sensitive walls and fucking in and out of him.

His jaw must’ve been getting a workout as he lapped up Jimin’s slick, doubling the omega’s pleasure every time he hummed like the taste of him was a meal at a five-star restaurant. And his hands—

Jimin was losing it over what he was doing with his hands. While stretching him out around his tongue, Jeongguk was grabbing at the fat of his ass or slipping his hand up his back to keep his butt in the air and chest to the bed, or sliding down to grab hard at the sensitive underside of his thighs, squeezing until Jimin made a high-pitched, fluttery sound out of enjoyment at the rough treatment.

Jeongguk always touched him in every place he could reach while they fucked. It was like he couldn’t stop his admiration for Jimin’s body, and would constantly go out of his way to make sure the omega knew how attracted to him he was.

It drove touch-starved Jimin a little crazy.

As the alpha continued to fuck his tongue in and out, the scent of their mixed hormones got stronger in the air, making the air dense and hot. Jimin’s breathing was progressively growing more and more labored as he worked up to an orgasm.

Jeongguk ate his ass as if his life depended on it, touching him all over, pulling out every trick in the book to make Jimin feel good with his tongue alone, and moaning every so often at just the taste of the omega’s heat in his mouth. There was so much slick and saliva everywhere that every flick or thrust of Jeongguk’s tongue made Jimin’s tight hole sound like— Like—

The alpha groan was guttural. He pulled his tongue out and mouthed around the omega’s hole just long enough to say, “Fuck, angel. So wet it sounds like you’ve got a pussy down here instead of this cute little hole, hm?”

Jimin’s whine was pitched and broken.

His cheeks got hot with embarrassment, but his cock drooled onto the sheets. He couldn’t help it anymore. He rutted into the bed to try and relieve some of the tension and moaned at the much-needed friction. Jeongguk let him get away with it once, and then gripped one of his hips, locking him in place so he couldn’t try it again.

“You’re gonna come from my tongue or nothing at all,” he told him in warning, before diving back down to fuck his tongue into Jimin’s gaping, stretched hole.

Another sound slipped past the omega’s parted lips. He felt like he was going crazy. He was beginning to slip, starting to lose track of both of their movements as things blended into simple, insurmountable pleasure. It got to the point that he was open and pliant, taking everything the alpha gave him and babbling on as he got closer to coming.

“M-More. Need more.”

“Please, alpha. Wanna come.”

“Oh, like that—Yes, yes, please—”

He knew he was a mess; sweaty, with slick dripping between his legs and onto the bed, his hair matted to his forehead. At the same time, he’d never felt better. He just needed a little push. Just one more thing to send him careening off the edge.

It’s like Jeongguk could tell.

He sensed the omega’s need and drew back, temporarily replacing his tongue with a long, thick finger that sank knuckle-deep into the omega without an ounce of resistance. Jimin whined both in pleasure and annoyance, wanting his tongue back because he was feeling greedy. But Jeongguk shushed him, leaning up and wrapping an arm around the omega’s front—across his chest—until his own warm chest was against Jimin’s clothed back. He nosed at the side of his head, breathing in the scent of Jimin’s rose pheromones and shampoo, and dipping a second finger in alongside the first.

He nipped at the shell of the omega’s ear, listening to Jimin cry out as his fingers fucked in and out at a brutal pace, creating a dirty squelching sound. In a low, buttery-smooth voice, Jeongguk guided him.

“Give it to me, baby. Come all over my fingers. After, I’m gonna pull you onto my lap and have you bounce that pretty ass on my cock until I finish inside of you.”

Jimin’s moan was wanton. His eyes rolled back behind closed lids, and his mouth stayed open as he honed in on his pleasure. Jeongguk continued muttering filth into his ear, coaxing him into his orgasm. The omega was so close. He just needed that final thing to push him over the edge, and the alpha seemed happy to give it to him.

As if it were a secret, he murmured to the omega, “It seems you like the sound of that almost as much as I do, angel. Is that really what you want? Wanna get knotted and have my cum fill you to the brim?”

There was no way he could speak anymore, so Jimin just nodded eagerly, one hand anchoring him to the bed while the other gripped Jeongguk’s arm so hard that he was beginning to leave half-crescent indents behind from his nails. At that exact moment, the alpha’s fingers shifted and angled up, and perfectly began hitting Jimin’s prostate.

The omega’s cry was broken and trembling, his entire body hot and shaking as he teetered on the edge of a mind-numbing orgasm.

Jeongguk made a low sound in the back of his throat—gravelly and deep, like a near growl. Then, he pressed his lips right to Jimin’s ear and muttered, “Come for me, then. Come and let alpha pup you.”

Jimin’s gasp was so sharp that he couldn’t breathe. His eyes flew open, and heat rushed to his core in a manner strong enough that it felt almost violent. His orgasm crashed into him in a heavy wave, followed by another and another as the alpha milked him through it, abusing his prostate and keeping him stretched around his fingers until the omega was quivering and practically limp in his hold, cum sticking to his stomach and the bedsheets.

Once the last wave was over, Jeongguk didn’t give him a second to breathe.

He was slipping his fingers out, leaving Jimin’s hole gaping and soaking wet, and then guiding the omega up and switching their positions. In the end, Jeongguk wound up with his back to the bed and his dark hair falling around his head in curled, pretty waves. He shifted Jimin by his hips and thighs, coaxing him into sitting in his lap. The omega was still shaking and panting, making tiny sounds as he was moved around. He could feel his wolf slowly taking over now, the desire to be filled with the alpha’s cock outweighing the exhaustion brought on by such an intense orgasm.

So, he let himself be moved, his mind still reeling from what Jeongguk said that made him blank out as he came. The alpha lifted him a bit, just enough to guide the thick head of his stiff cock to Jimin’s prepped hole. Once he was lined up, Jimin slowly let himself sink, eager and hazy from their pheromones.

Jeongguk watched himself slip in, biting down on his bottom lip the entire time like he was attempting to contain a groan at the downright salacious sight. Jimin gasped when he found himself sitting down, ass flush with the alpha’s body, a heavy, thick cock throbbing and real inside of him. It was a tight fit and stung a little, but the slick and relaxation after his orgasm had done wonders to ease the slide. He rolled his hips experimentally and whimpered at how good it felt to have Jeongguk in him again.

Glancing down, Jimin whined loudly at the sight of the bulge in his abdomen, shifting again just to see it move with him. Jeongguk finally looked away from where they were connected to see what Jimin was doing and swore at the sight, shifting one of the hands that had been on Jimin’s hip to feel over the protrusion.

“Fuck, that’s hot.”

Jimin nodded in agreement, not having the patience to wait any longer. His legs were already a bit worn out from being on his knees earlier, plus the moment just now, but not even the strain in his thighs could prevent him from rising until only the tip was in him, before dropping back down with purpose.

They moaned in time with one another at the feeling, Jeongguk’s more gruff, where Jimin’s was high and airy. The omega let his eyes slip shut and dropped his head back, lifting and falling back down again over and over, slowly picking up steam as he got more addicted to the feeling. He was wrapped around the alpha’s cock in a vice grip, and every little movement had Jeongguk rubbing against his prostate and sensitive walls. He was so full that it was the only thing he could think about.

He splayed his hands out on the alpha’s chest and rocked up and down, back and forth, using his cock like it was a toy from his collection. But Jeongguk was so much better than that—he was hot and thick and real. And shit, he felt incredible.

At first, Jeongguk just let him bounce as he did his best to ride him, simply caressing his sides, working his hands up to hold his waist, then down to his hips, and then to his thighs and back up again. Eventually, though, Jimin’s pace naturally slowed, his body not able to keep up with the demand he and his wolf had for a knot.

Which is when Jeongguk finally seemed ready to step in.

Hands grabbed hard enough at his hip and waist to bruise, and Jimin was guided to rise on his knees, just barely still sitting on the alpha’s cock. That was when Jeongguk shifted his legs so they were bent at the knees and thrusted up as hard as he could.

Jimin’s gasp was choked. Their skin slapped together as the alpha raised his hips until he was balls deep, drew back, and thrusted back up again, feeding the omega’s soaking wet hole his cock again and again in brutal, impossibly fast motions. Jimin stumbled and nearly fell forward, catching himself with a hand by Jeongguk’s head, deft fingers curling in the sheets and his face dropping into the alpha’s neck as arms wrapped around him, keeping him down and in place so Jeongguk could get leverage to fuck harder.

“A-Ah—” Jimin cried out, unable to form a single sentence as he quickly worked back up to full hardness again. His cock was trapped between his and Jeongguk’s bodies as it was his turn to be used. He felt like a ragdoll in the alpha’s hold, incapable of doing anything but sitting perfectly still and taking it.

Working hard to make the knot at the base of his cock start to slowly expand, Jeongguk pressed his cheek to Jimin’s head and said in rushed, hot breaths, “You liked what I said earlier.”

It took Jimin a moment to catch up with what he was saying—he was already so far gone, so lost to the sensation of being filled and having his prostate abused yet again.

“Mhm,” he managed, the hand that was still on Jeongguk’s smooth chest sliding up to tangle loosely in the alpha’s sweat-damp, midnight hair. He gripped it, trying to hold on for dear life as the alpha somehow managed to speed up even more. Every slap of skin on skin was deafeningly loud in the small bedroom, echoing off the walls, and Jimin knew the back of his thighs and ass must be bright red by now.

Jeongguk made a low, pleased sound. “You really liked it.” An arm left his waist and shifted up until the alpha had a hand at the back of his head, keeping him close as he asked, “You enjoy the thought of me pupping you, angel? Like it so much you came all over yourself immediately?”

Jimin’s whimper was wet as tears brimmed behind closed eyelids. Emotion and desperation were a deadly mix, overwhelming him and intensifying the pleasure. It felt like slipping into a fantasy—the thought of Jeongguk actually being able to pup him right now, the thought that, in another world, they might be together, and the alpha would try to knock him up while they fucked like this.

It was a dangerous fantasy to entertain.

The omega knew it in the way his heart squeezed. He knew it in how he tightened around the alpha, subconsciously trying to coax him into knotting him—into “pupping him”, even. His wolf was howling in him, wanting exactly that from the alpha. They recognized how capable Jeongguk was, how good he was to them—always taking care of him, thinking of him, helping him. To Jimin’s omega, this was the perfect mate.

And for the first time in perhaps a very, very long time, Jimin felt the same as his wolf in every way.

He sobbed and gripped the alpha tighter, everything suddenly washing over him—his own feelings, the tantalizing thought of a fantasy like that being possible, and the alpha still pounding into him, muttering in his ear about giving him exactly what he wanted.

The one thing Jimin didn’t understand was why Jeongguk was entertaining this idea. This was just sex to him, right? So, why play into such an undue aspect of it? Maybe it was just as hot for him as it was for Jimin, and none of the feelings came with it.

Whatever the reason, Jimin tried to push it out of his mind for now. That was an issue for him. Now? Well, now he was just focused on getting the knot he was originally promised. His omega was insatiable right now, and he needed everything the alpha could offer.

So, he tried to rock his hips back even as the alpha held him, and moaned brokenly against Jeongguk’s neck when he felt his knot expand more and more in real time. Not thinking, he nuzzled closer to Jeongguk’s scent gland, rubbing his nose against it and inhaling, drinking up that intoxicating scent in heavy wafts.

Still feeling like it wasn’t enough, he stuck his tongue out and lazily dragged it over his neck, trying to see if he could taste the vetiver. But all that did was smear Jimin’s rose scent over the spot.

And that gave the omega a new goal.

His mouth latched onto the sensitive spot, and he sucked hard, trying to scent Jeongguk until he smelt only of Jimin. Rather than pull him off, the alpha groaned and bared his throat, hips stuttering on a thrust as the omega licked and kissed and sucked over the gland.

“Shit,” the alpha swore, grip around Jimin downright possessive. His breathing was more labored now as they both drew closer and closer to their climaxes. “Baby—Hah. What’re you doin’?”

He asked the question, but he still wasn’t stopping the omega. It only served to spur Jimin on, and for the first time in several long, intense minutes, Jimin found it in himself to speak. It was his wolf talking by this point. He was driven by a carnival need and selfish desire only.

Rising to a sitting position as the alpha continued pounding into him, Jimin began to meet his thrusts as best as he could. Jeongguk reached deeper like this, and Jimin had to hold onto him for dear life so he didn’t topple over. He looked down at the disheveled, flushed, handsome alpha with blown pupils and frowned at his neck, saying, “You h-have to smell like me.”

Jeongguk’s eyes were half-lidded, and he groaned low in his throat. It was so pitched and primal that Jimin felt the vibrations of it against his hand, which was still splayed over the alpha’s chest.

“Yeah?” Jeongguk goaded him, grabbing hard at his hips and keeping him in the air as he pounded into him, relentless but beginning to wane around the edges. It was clear his orgasm was close, but he was still working off his adrenaline, intent on burying his knot inside Jimin once he knew they both had their fill. “I thought I already smelled like you, angel. I’m in your nest right now, aren’t I?”

“Not enough,” Jimin said poutily, half-distracted as he got fucked at this angle. He could feel how delirious the heat was beginning to make him. All rational thought had left long ago, and he was just doing what his wolf wanted now. And staring down at the dark mark he had sucked over the alpha’s scent gland, his wolf got an idea for how to ensure the alpha stunk of nothing but his rose scent for weeks. He didn’t even notice he was speaking out loud when he added, “Don’t wanna smell that omega anymore.”

The statement clearly caught Jeongguk off guard. His thrusts faltered for a second, and he blinked, brows furrowing. “Wha—What omega?”

“T-The one I smelled on the elevator,” Jimin confessed, thoughtless to the implications of his admission—thoughtless to how embarrassed this conversation could make him later on when he was more level-headed.

Jeongguk looked lost, and his thrusts had slowed to a near stop, and Jimin couldn’t have that, so he whined petulantly and rocked up and down, trying to get the alpha to keep fucking him. Seeming to snap out of his distracted train of thought at the realization that he still had a lap full of pouty, heat-driven omega, Jeongguk resumed his thrusts and huffed an amused laugh. “Shit. Wait. Are you talking about—”

Jimin whined again, annoyance flaring up in his scent as he sank particularly hard and cut Jeongguk off with an irritated, “Don’t mention another omega in my bed.”

Something flashed through Jeongguk’s expression at that, and Jimin picked up on the change in his scent.

He was into this—into Jimin’s wolf feeling so possessive over him right now. His pheromones gave him away.

Spurred on by that knowledge, Jimin waited until the alpha’s thrusts picked up again before making his move.

Once there was a chance, he reached down, trying not to ruin Jeongguk’s deep, unrelenting thrusts as he felt around where they were connected. Jeongguk watched him with unbridled interest, letting him do what he wanted because he himself was distracted, still busy trying to work his fat knot into the omega’s tight heat before it got too big to take. The slick soaking his cock and Jimin’s hole told them both it wouldn’t be long, so Jeongguk moved with a purpose, thrusting deeper and deeper each time, trying to get his knot inside.

His being distracted gave Jimin a perfect opening.

With a slick-covered hand, he leaned over the alpha again and made brief eye contact with him. He saw the lust in Jeongguk’s eyes, and then the flicker of recognition and shock in the way his eyes widened a fraction as it finally dawned on him what was about to happen.

But it was too late.

Everything went by in a flash.

Jimin’s hand came into contact with the alpha’s scent gland at his neck, and he smeared his slick all over the area, smothering the alpha in nothing but rose and pure sex. Inside, Jimin’s omega purred in satisfaction. He rubbed it in until his hand and Jeongguk’s skin were tacky and drenched.

Jeongguk’s mouth dropped open, and his nostrils flared, eyes darkening up at Jimin as he was shamelessly marked by the omega in heat.

And that was the same time that he thrusted in one final time and his knot sank past that initial tight ring of muscle, successfully locking Jeongguk’s cock inside as the alpha’s orgasm hit with an intensity Jimin hadn’t seen from him before—even rivaling his rut. Hot, thick ropes of cum began filling Jimin up, and it seemed endless once it started. With each passing second, Jimin could feel himself being bred, and finally having what he wanted only fed into the fantasy that made him come the first time.

He dove into the alpha’s neck, inhaling deeply and feeling his wolf overjoyed over their success at marking the alpha as their own, all while Jeongguk did the same to him. Again, more tears welled up in his eyes, and this time, they fell.

Rocking back on the alpha’s knot like he was trying to get it impossibly deeper inside, Jimin’s pleasure was white-hot when he came for the second time that night.

Jeongguk panted into his ear, speechless as he rode his high, and still trying to coax the omega through his own as Jimin trembled on top of him, spilling cum onto their flushed abdomens. The whimper and subsequent whine the omega released was pitched and broken, and a blur to his own ears as all noise faded from his focus.

It felt like his ears were ringing. It stayed that way until Jeongguk finally stopped coming, and long after the aftershocks of his orgasm came and went. The alpha held him through everything, caressing his body and keeping him warm while they remained locked together.

At some point, Jimin passed out, now in the full swing of his heat, not aware of what line he must’ve just crossed. And for the next several days, they would remain in bed together—Jeongguk smelling of rose only, and Jimin’s omega happily satiated every time they were given another knot by their alpha.

As with all shameless things done during sex, there always comes the quiet part that happened after—the shame and realization that dawned the morning after, like a bucket of cold water dropped over someone’s head, sobering them immediately.

After a heat that lasted five days, Jimin was finally experiencing that part.

Jeongguk stuck around the morning after his heat, humming and content as he made them both breakfast. All the while, Jimin stewed on the couch with a t-shirt on, mortified over the pieces of his cycle that he could remember.

He glanced at Jeongguk every few minutes, watching as the alpha easily moved around his kitchen, familiar with the layout by now. He had yet to bring it up—Jimin marking over his scent gland with his slick. The omega’s face went peach-toned at the memory, and he put his hand over his face, wincing as he hoped that the alpha had forgotten about that little incident. It had been burned in his brain since the fog of the heat left in the late hours of the night prior.

There was no excuse for what he did, and no true reason for it either. Heats made him possessive, sure, but he had never slick-marked anyone. The action was born purely of jealousy, and he was sure the alpha could sense that from the way he spoke about the incident in the elevator—from how his rose scent wilted at the memory. Jeongguk didn’t seem upset about it at the moment, sure, but Jimin was sure it was only out of a sense of obligation to soothe an omega in heat.

One thing was certain: If Jeongguk did remember, there was no way he wouldn’t bring it up.

So, Jimin sat on the couch and tried to feign ignorance, casually asking, “Can I help with anything?”

Jeongguk glanced at him over his shoulder, the expression on his face incredulous. “You just finished an intense heat. I can scramble some eggs.”

That made the omega crack a smile. He sank further into the comfortable sofa and watched the alpha work, enjoying the sight of him grabbing things from the fridge and working the stove as if he lived here. “I’m not totally useless, though. I feel fine.”

“Just sit there and look pretty.” Jeongguk waved him off. His back was to the omega as he worked on seasoning the meat he had pulled out. “Besides, your cycle seemed more intense this time. That means you should take more time to recover.”

Jimin’s brows pulled together, and he frowned. “It… wasn’t more intense. Was it?”

There was a snort, and then another raised-brow look was shot his way from the alpha. “You’re kidding, right?”

“What are you talking about? It felt the same as normal.”

And maybe Jimin was lying to himself. He knew his wolf was more… at the forefront this time around. But letting himself think of the implications of that didn’t make him feel better, so he didn’t want to believe it was true.

Suddenly, Jeongguk washed his hands and turned the burner low, tossing a hand towel over his shoulder as he crossed the threshold and approached the omega. Jimin straightened up, eyes big and heart racing as he realized he might have made a mistake. It would’ve been better to avoid any talk about how his heat went, but here they were.

He watched quietly as the alpha stood in front of him and leaned down, steadying his hands on the cushion of the couch just above Jimin’s head, looking down at the omega as he loomed over him. He studied him for a tense, silent second. Then, he asked, “You don’t remember?”

Jimin swallowed hard, his gaze unconsciously darting down to the alpha’s throat before coming back up. He decided to play dumb, despite knowing there was only one thing he could be referencing. So, he shook his head and said shakily, “No?”

A small smile graced Jeongguk’s face, and his dark eyes twinkled with amusement. “Oh, yeah? So, you tell me you were jealous of another omega’s scent being on me, you rub your slick all over my neck, and now you’re saying that you don’t remember any of it?”

Jimin wasn’t able to stop the way his face went red, nor how he sat there with his mouth agape, trying and failing to think of a response. He was hoping Jeongguk didn’t remember—worried it might be a little awkward if he did. He certainly didn’t expect him to not only remember, but also confront him directly about it.

He didn’t have a good excuse, and he couldn't think of a solid lie fast enough.

“I’m not making fun of you,” Jeongguk promised, tone softening as he watched the omega’s reaction. He leaned in closer and tilted his head, letting his lips brush the shell of Jimin’s ear. “It was hot.”

A shiver racked down Jimin’s spine, and his eyelashes fluttered.

Jeongguk purposefully nuzzled his nose into the omega’s hair, and Jimin bit down on his bottom lip to suppress a whine at the unexpectedly gentle affection. “I like having your scent on me just as much as you like it.”

‘I doubt that,' sat on the tip of Jimin’s tongue, because Jeongguk had no idea how much he liked the way he smelled in that moment; rose and vetiver, saturated in lust and heady warmth.

It was intoxicating.

So much so that, without thinking, he started leaning in, itching to get closer to where the most potent pheromones lingered on the alpha’s throat.

That’s when Jeongguk drew back, and the spell snapped.

He stepped back with a loud sigh. “The food will burn if I get too distracted teasing you over here.”

Jimin snorted a laugh as he watched the alpha saunter back into the kitchen, but had to place a hand over his heart to steady its rapid thumping.

There was some shifting, and the scraping of a pan against a burner on the stove, and then Jeongguk’s voice came again.

“By the way, she’s just a friend.”

Looking over at him, the omega’s brows knitted together. “Sorry… What?”

Jeongguk’s tone was casual. “The omega whose scent you picked up on in the elevator? She’s my best friend’s mate. We were at their apartment to hang out, so that’s probably why the smell was so strong.”

The omega pursed his lips and nodded, feigning nonchalance. Without prompting, the alpha kept going.

“I’m not seeing anyone else,” Jeongguk told him directly. Then, he tossed a half-smile at the omega over his shoulder. “Just so we’re clear. And I don’t have plans to, but even if I did, it’s something I would have let you know.”

And Jimin hated the comfort that those words flooded him with. Instantly, he relaxed into the cushions of the couch again. “Thanks for… telling me that.”

The alpha nodded and returned to making them breakfast, and Jimin’s eyes widened. Quickly, he hastened on, “I’m also not seeing anyone, by the way. Like you said, I’m not interested right now, and I would have let you know if I was.”

Jeongguk flashed a genuine smile at that, and the omega swore the way his shoulders relaxed indicated he was relieved. “Okay. Yeah, that’s… good.” He began plating the food and prompted Jimin to come into the dining room so they could eat.

The omega padded over, thanked the alpha for the food, and the two sat down across the small table from each other to begin eating.

In the aftermath of his heat, the apartment was quiet and peaceful. Every square inch of his home smelled like slick and alpha pheromones, and he knew he’d have to clean a lot for the next few days, but for now, he took as many deep breaths as he could and enjoyed having Jeongguk’s scent covering his apartment.

It was a comfort to have around—something the omega discovered after the initial cycle spent in his home. At first, he tried to say that it was simply because of the scent itself, but he knew well enough now that it was because of who the smell was attached to. After numerous times picking up a waft of Jeongguk’s scent in the elevator—indicating they’d just missed one another—and feeling relaxed immediately, or burying his face in the alpha’s neck during sex and witnessing his omega calm itself in real time, he knew that it went beyond basic instinct.

In the quiet of his apartment, as they conversed about returning to regular life and laughed about things they’d done in the haze of the heat, Jimin understood that he was finding comfort in the alpha.

He liked his companionship, not just the ease their agreement offered. He enjoyed his laugh, his scent, his smile—not just the sex.

Watching the alpha rattle on about the television show they’d been binging together with a boy-like twinkle in his eyes and grin on his face, Jimin knew he was deeper in this than he should be.

His possessive move to mark the alpha with his slick wasn’t just a move done by a heat-stricken omega being driven by his wolf—it was born of an earnest jealousy Jimin felt at the idea of Jeongguk being with another omega.

He was aware that, at some point or another, he’d have to address what that meant about him. But for now, he hoped it was only a fleeting crush and smiled at something the alpha said, trying to enjoy the rest of this moment spent in the calm serenity of his apartment before they’d both have to face reality once more.

Leaving Jimin’s apartment after his heat, the omega didn’t get the impression that Jeongguk was upset with him. Still, he worried that he might’ve overstepped.

After all, they had an agreement: casual, easy, fun. Getting jealous and scent-marking Jeongguk with his slick went well beyond what the alpha signed up for. So, it wasn’t that Jimin thought the alpha would be more distant with him in the coming weeks—it’s just that he knew in advance that he didn’t have a right to blame the alpha if he was.

In consequence, he half-expected that things between him and Jeongguk would fade again until the next time their bodies demanded something of them. Yet, somehow, they didn’t.

In fact, quite the opposite happened.

They still saw each other regularly. Sometimes, it was a casual brush by one another in the lobby where they’d exchange easy smiles and small talk that lingered. Other times, Jeongguk would text a photo of whatever food he prepared that night, followed by a simple, ‘Have you eaten yet?’

And next thing Jimin knew, he would find himself padding across the hall barefoot, knocking on Jeon Jeongguk’s front door once again.

Dinner always turned into conversation, and conversation to laughter and small touches—excused as friendliness more than anything else. They were friends now, after all. They had inside jokes and favorite shows to watch when they were together. Jimin found himself staring each time Jeongguk’s eyes crinkled at the corners, and noticed that he remained warm and giddy well after he’d eventually gone back to his own home.

There was a rhythm between them. What had, at first, been the chaotic pull of instinct had formed into something steadier—something that felt dangerously close to comfort. Jimin tried not to give a name to it, despite knowing what it was deep down.

After all, why complicate something that’s already perfect? Why demand more of someone than they’re willing to give? Why risk fleeting affections for what could be lasting enjoyment?

Jimin felt that it wouldn’t be worth it. In turn, he did what any healthy adult would do—buried his feelings deep down in hopes of forgetting about them, and carried on under the delusion that it would go away, rather than start pulling him apart at the seams.

When Jeongguk’s next rut came, it wasn’t with a warning—

It was with a sudden knock.

Mid-July. The sun was setting late, and even then it was already dipping below the horizon, painting Jimin’s apartment in warm colors.

With furrowed brows and pajamas on, Jimin pulled back his front door and instantly sensed it.

The scent is what hit him first; deep, heavy with vetiver, desire curling around it at the edges.

Jeongguk was standing there in a loose black shirt and gym shorts. His pupils were blown, jaw tensed, chest rising and falling off-kilter. His tattooed hand flexed against the doorframe like it was taking him a lot of effort to keep it there.

“Hey,” Jimin said softly, his heart betraying how he felt at the sight of the alpha like this.

“Hey,” Jeongguk echoed, voice low and rough. His eyes dragged down Jimin’s body before flicking back up to his face, which is when he winced. “I’m sorry. I’m sure you have work, and I should’ve texted. I—uh. It just… sort of started? I-I thought I might still try to—”

Jimin was already stepping aside, so the alpha didn’t bother finishing.

Inside, the apartment smelled faintly of roses and candle wax, and there was a television show quietly playing in Jimin’s living room. Once the door was closed, the air seemed to shift—becoming something charged, heady, and raw.

The alpha’s jaw tightened for just a second when he hesitated, dark eyes searching the omega’s face. “You’re sure? I know how last-minute this is. It’s okay to ask me to go.”

Jimin shook his head, subtle but certain. “Don’t. I’ll call my boss in the morning to update him. You’re here, and I want you here. So, yeah—I’m sure.”

Jeongguk’s expression shifted at that—a mix of relief and poorly-veiled hunger. He stepped forward, took Jimin’s face into his hands, and kissed him. Despite being caught off guard, the omega was quick to reciprocate, whimpering into the kiss and tilting his head, trying to taste the alpha. It was something he missed when it was gone—kissing Jeongguk.

It was a strange feeling, knowing he was ready to sink into this with him at the drop of a hat.

But he was, so it made sense that he did.

Jeongguk picked him up, and Jimin wrapped his legs around his torso, their mouths never once leaving each other.

They didn’t even make it to the bed. Jeongguk plopped him down onto the couch, and they slowly stripped off every article of clothing, touching and kissing and trying to make each other feel good. They knew one another’s bodies so well now—it was easy to do.

It would be inaccurate to say they slotted together like two puzzle pieces when it was so much more than that. It was more like they blurred together—like two separate things that had truly always belonged together, so when it came time, it was as easy as breathing.

Everything with Jeongguk seemed easy.

And that was part of Jimin’s problem. That’s why it was so effortless to feel the way he did about him, and to continue doing this complex, messy whatever they were doing.

But he’d still do it anyway.

This time, Jeongguk’s rut was different.

If Jimin thought the first one was intense, it couldn’t even be compared to this one.

Maybe it was because they’d grown too familiar with each other, and started blurring the lines between instinct and affection a little more during each interaction. Or, maybe it was simply Jeongguk that was different this time. Jimin couldn’t tell the difference.

Either way, it made his rut a visceral thing. It hit harder and heavier this time around, leaving less time for cool-downs. It was the kind of powerful, tangible thing that seemed to wrap itself around them and refuse to let go.

For days, Jimin’s apartment was filled with nothing but the robust stench of sex and alpha pheromones. The windows in his bedroom were fogged, and the air was thick with the entangled scents of roses and vetiver. It was like even the energy in the home was conveying that this went beyond chemistry.

Jeongguk had a way about being attentive, even during the depths of his rut. He was careful about how he handled Jimin, gentle in the way he held him, and guided him. Even with the instincts of his wolf tearing through his body, he managed to kiss and caress and focus. This time? It was like his wolf wanted proof—in the form of touch and marks and sounds that only he could pull from Jimin. It felt like he needed to know that the omega wouldn’t slip away when everything was said and done.

He didn’t let Jimin out of his reach. Even in the quiet moments, he had a hand somewhere on him; around his waist, or hip, or at the back of his neck. The possessiveness wasn’t cruel, though. It felt grounding and instinctive, as if Jeongguk just needed to feel Jimin breathe to remember he was real.

By the third night, the omega’s world had narrowed down to heartbeats and scents. He dozed off with his cheek against Jeongguk’s firm, bare chest. He was dizzy over it all—lulled in by the steady beat against his ear. The alpha was quiet, tracing continuous, lazy patterns along Jimin’s back until the next wave seemed to pull him under the surface—all at once, it was starting again.

Jeongguk shifted them both around on the bed. Jimin went easy—pliable, humming. Scent-drunk and exhausted from non-stop sex, but always happy to give more and more. He wanted to devote the same dedication that Jeongguk did to his heats, and even then, it never felt like enough.

All clothes had been abandoned after the first night. Now, it was easy for the alpha to touch where he wanted and take what he needed.

When he slipped inside, a broken mewl tumbled past the omega’s lips. Their bodies were close. Jimin could feel every inch of Jeongguk against him—in him, too. They kissed in lax, messy little motions. The alpha slid his hands all over his body, stroking his side, propping the omega’s leg up over his own shoulder so he could thrust deeper, caressing his blush-ridden face.

Then, when they both got close to orgasm, Jeongguk shifted. He pressed his nose against the crook of Jimin’s neck, right above the sensitive, flowing pulse that was the omega’s scent gland.

It made Jimin tense for a moment before melting when the alpha’s breath hitched.

“Can I?” Jeongguk murmured—half-plea, half-growl.

Jimin’s answer was a shiver that was followed by a soft hum.

Without hesitation, Jeongguk’s teeth were on him.

The mark wasn’t a deep bite—not a claim, not even enough to break skin. But it was still enough to send Jimin reeling. His eyes rolled back, and he finished all over his stomach, no doubt getting some on the alpha too because of how flush their bodies were to one another. He always loved the feeling of the alpha’s teeth sinking into him, but this close to his neck? His body was tingling, and he felt light-headed with desire. 

Jeongguk’s mouth and scent pressed into the romantic curve of the omega’s neck until it shifted the already potent air. Roses gave way to warm, thick vetiver. It felt like the two scents weaved together until they were impossible to distinguish.

Jimin’s fingers curled into the sheets, and he cried out, chest light with what could only be described as joy. He felt it sink in, deeper than any touch. It was recognition. It was belonging.

When Jeongguk finally drew back, his eyes were softer, and the tension in his shoulders was unspooling as though something in him had finally settled. The way he looked at Jimin was enough for the omega to whine, beckoning the alpha in for a kiss that he happily gave.

Neither of them spoke.

The alpha’s orgasm slammed into him shortly after, and he filled Jimin with hot floods of his cum. His knot locked in easily after so many times of doing this in such a short duration of time. And, for several minutes, it was silent. The heat remained—the knowledge of this being a temporary lull before another wave—but it was enough.

After half an hour of being connected and quiet, the alpha was finally able to release his knot and pull out. Jimin’s eyes were closed, and he was hardly paying attention, so he didn’t register the fingers swiping across his tender hole at first.

But then he felt those same fingers smearing all over his inner thighs and up his hips, and his eyes snapped open.

Jeongguk’s gaze was dark and locked on him. Shamelessly, he was propped over the omega on one hand—still half-hard—while his other hand worked to spread the cum that had slipped out of Jimin’s gaping entrance all over the omega’s most delicate body parts. Anywhere his rose scent was the most potent, Jeongguk masked it with vetiver.

“Alpha… what are you—”

Jeongguk cut him off with a kiss, going back between Jimin’s legs to greedily collect more of the dripping slick and cum mix. When he drew back, it was just enough to look at the omega as he said, “You marked me, right? I think it’s only fair that I get to do the same.”

Jimin’s breath hitched, and their lips came crashing back together in another sloppy, hungry kiss. When he felt Jeongguk’s cum-covered fingers wrap around his throat, he outright moaned into the alpha’s mouth.

Jeongguk swallowed the sound and growled low in his throat, making sure Jimin’s scent gland was completely soaked with his scent—making sure it would remain that way for weeks to come.

And Jimin welcomed it. He reveled in it.

After an intense makeout session, Jeongguk was hard again, so the omega easily swapped their positions and rode the alpha while Jeongguk kissed dark marks into his collarbones and chest. The entire time, neither of them spoke.

The silence was plenty enough on its own. 

The rest of Jeongguk’s rut blurred into something hazy and endless. Jimin hardly recalled how many times the sun rose and set. The world beyond the walls of his own apartment felt impossibly far away. Jeongguk remained as he had been; restless but tender, a paradox that Jimin accepted and welcomed. Sometimes he was soft, pressing kisses over every mark and bruise he left. Other times, he was like a silent predator, bending Jimin over with a kind of desperate reverence, putting more of those marks on the omega’s skin like it was never enough.

Between waves, Jeongguk made sure Jimin ate. He brought water to his lips, brushed sweat-damped hair away from his forehead, and tucked him under the blanket when the post-wave chills started for both of them as their body heat returned to normal. There was affection in all of it—unspoken, yes, but present in every gesture nonetheless.

By the final night, the alpha’s energy had waned. His movements were significantly slower, his voice quiet and nearly gone from use, his scent mellowed out from sharp vetiver to something more muted and satiated.

When the morning after came, Jimin knew the last of the rut was over.

He could tell by the air alone. It still smelled like them, but the charge in it had faded.

Jimin woke up first, curled in the alpha’s arms, feeling each rise and fall of the alpha’s chest against his back. For a long while, he remained still. He blinked his eyes open and watched the sunlight creeping in through the partially-opened blinds.

When Jeongguk finally stirred, he tightened his hold around the omega almost instinctively. After a moment of waiting for the disorienting world around him to register, his eyes met Jimin’s. His gaze was dark and searching, and something flickered between them during the eye contact—something unspoken and real.

“Morning,” the alpha rasped, voice thick from sleep and rough with use.

Jimin hummed. “Good morning.”

Neither of them talked about it. There was no mention of the scent marking—the cum marking—or about how Jeongguk wouldn’t let him out of his sight for the duration of the rut. Instead, the alpha just cleared his throat, stretched muscles tensing—and murmured, “Come on, angel. We should shower.”

Angel. Not Jimin.

The haze of his rut had passed. The sex was done. And yet, the pet name lingered.

The echo of the word in his mind was the only thought in the omega’s mind when he easily let Jeongguk pull him from bed and take his hand, leading both of their sore, marked bodies over to the bathroom.

In the shower, the quiet remained. Steam rose around them, and the water hit the porcelain like white noise on a television. The alpha stood behind him, and though neither was being touchy like they were during their cycles, every moment was tense with interest as if they might as well have been. When Jeongguk reached for the soap, and his knuckles brushed the omega’s back, it felt like sparks were flying. And when Jimin turned his head to the side to avoid water on his face and found Jeongguk’s dark eyes trained on him in the reflection of the fogged glass, they both glanced away as if stung by sight alone.

They didn’t need to speak. The instinct and arousal that charged the air during the rut were gone, but the tension and awareness were enough on their own to keep the energy alive, because they both knew.

A line was crossed—on both sides now. There was no going back, and no pretending that it didn’t happen.

It was a conversation they would have to have, but for now…

“Thanks,” Jimin softly uttered when the alpha handed him a towel upon cutting the water off and stepping out of the shower. Their fingers touched, and it was enough to make the omega’s pulse race.

In response, Jeongguk hummed, drying off while Jimin did the same. “You’re feeling okay?”

A nod. “Yeah. I’m tired but… thanks for being expected.”

The alpha’s lips curved up on one end at that, but his eyes softened. “You should rest.”

He was tugging his shirt over his head—pants already on—and Jimin couldn’t resist another look at him before tan, muscular skin was gone from his vision. Even after so many days tangled in bed with him, the omega could’ve gotten right back under the sheets. The only thing stopping him was that there was no excuse now. It wasn’t necessary, and wasn’t what they agreed on.

So, he smiled and finished dressing back into his own clothes. “Yeah. You too.”

It should’ve been simple—it was just another morning-after, after all. But it felt vastly different from the times before.

Now, things were different.

And it was dawning on Jimin that something would have to be done about it sooner or later.

At the beginning of them hooking up, returning to normal life was relatively easy for Jimin.

Of course, he could admit that his thoughts always drifted to Jeongguk off and on, but for the most part, it was simple. Now? He couldn’t focus on anything.

He was distracted while working and found his mind wandering as he ran errands or did chores. And it started affecting him in the stupidest ways, too.

When he saw a sign or video about japchae? He thought of the time Jeongguk first invited him over to eat with him. Each time he passed a huge building in the city? He thought back to Jeongguk’s work as an architect. If he passed a cute dog in the street? He had to fight back the instinct to take a photo of it to send to Jeongguk, which is something they’d been doing off and on with each other for months, but it now felt like Jimin would be overstepping—doing too much even though he considered them friends.

It was infuriating and confusing.

As the days passed, the weight of it sank deeper.

They’d gotten too close. Now, the fondness lingered even after their bodies separated. And when they were sleeping together? Clearly, the sex had only become more intense, more—

Passionate.

That was the only correct word for what it was.

Jimin tried to convince himself that it was just because they were getting to know one another—that it was only natural. They were friends now, after all. Maybe they were just more comfortable together, and that was fine.

But deep down, he knew the truth.

The attraction he had for the alpha stuck around even outside of the bedroom, and it stirred emotions in him that he hadn’t felt in years. Every time he passed Jeongguk in the hallway or caught sight of him getting his mail in the lobby, his heart raced despite himself.

And it’s not like it was only him—Jeongguk wasn’t immune, either.

After the most recent rut, the casual texts still came, as well as the light teasing between them, and the shared takeout now and again. But behind every word, veiled under every glance, something was simmering between them.

It was August when the simmering finally began roaring to a boil.

Jimin came back from the gym on the first floor of their apartment building in the late afternoon on a weekday. His hair was sweat-damped and sticking to his forehead, and one sleeve of his tank top was repeatedly threatening to slip off. His shorts were small enough to be scandalous, but he wore them because they were perfect for mobility when he was working out.

He was putting his earbuds back in their case as he approached the elevator, which was when he heard the front door of the building open and close.

“Jimin?”

The blonde omega glanced over his shoulder at the sound of his name, and saw none other than Jeongguk, crossing the lobby with the sun at his back and his phone in one hand. He was dressed in a way Jimin hadn’t seen before: black slacks and dress shoes, a white button-up on. To piece everything together, his hair was slicked back, and he had on a nice watch.

For a moment, both men just assessed each other.

The alpha approached and drew to a stop in front of Jimin. Realizing he still hadn’t spoken, the omega blinked and offered a bright and casual, “Hey.”

He watched as Jeongguk’s eyes dropped just long enough to betray his composure, before they flicked back up. “Hey. Just finished working out?”

“Mhm.” Jimin brushed stray, damp strands of hair back. He pressed the button for the elevator, and when the doors drew back, they both got on together. “Trying to stay in shape. Not all of us have good genes to rely on.”

That made the alpha’s lips curve up on one side. He pocketed his hands and tilted his head. “Thanks, but I don’t know about that one. You’re doing just fine with yours.”

The elevator doors slid closed, and there was a quiet hum from the machinery as they began moving up. Jimin smiled at the compliment and leaned back against a wall, aware that traces of his rose scent were filling the space because of how much he had been sweating. He could feel the alpha’s attention on him to the point that Jeongguk might as well have been physically touching him—trailing a hand up his thigh, caressing the slope of his hip.

“What about you?” Jimin said, trying to break the tension enough to disguise his own obvious desire. He gave the alpha another once-over. “You look like you just got done at an important meeting or something.”

The alpha huffed a laugh and leaned a shoulder against another wall. “No, uh… I had to meet with a contractor for a new project I’m on. I just came back from lunch with him. It was three hours long, incredibly boring, and mostly just us talking about construction feasibility.”

Jimin hummed. “Sounds… riveting.”

The comment was met with a sigh. “Tell me about it.”

Another beat of silence passed. Then, Jeongguk’s smooth, low voice came again.

“How’ve you been? It’s been a few days since you’ve come over.”

Fiddling with the lid on his water bottle, Jimin tried to laugh the question off. “I can’t keep coming over almost every night. I feel like I’m stealing all of your food.”

Jeongguk shrugged and shifted to stand properly as the elevator stopped. “I keep offering it.”

“Well, I’m also taking up all of your time and attention,” Jimin tried, getting off on their floor when the doors drew back.

The alpha fell in step beside him, that charming smile plastered on his face. “You’re saying that like it’s a bad thing, which it’s not. You’re consistently the best part of my day.”

Despite himself, Jimin’s heart squeezed, and emotion flooded him. Trying to avoid drowning in the overwhelm of it all, he willed the flush traveling up his neck down and tried to veer the subject away with a joke. “Mm. Sure, but everyone says that about me.”

The alpha lifted a brow. “Yeah? Should I compete with everyone then?”

Jimin’s eyes went wide. “Should you—What?”

“If everyone else wants you as much as I do, it sounds like I’ll have to start fighting to keep you, right?”

Lips pursed, Jimin goes silent. He finds himself unable to formulate a response at first, caught off guard by the bold words.

The omega got to his door at the same time that Jeongguk got to his own. There was mischief in Jeongguk’s expression, like he knew his teasing and flirting was affecting the omega, which it was, annoyingly.

Desperate to get back at him and play it off like it didn’t matter, Jimin sighed dramatically as he bent down to set his water bottle on the ground, trying to free his hands to unlock his door. “Sounds like it. Careful, though, or you might start a riot.”

“Yeah, I’ll be sure to try and avoid…” Jeongguk’s voice trailed off, and when the omega peered over his shoulder at him as he rose back to his full height, he found the alpha’s dark eyes trained directly on his ass, which Jimin nearly forgot was clad in absurdly short fabric, offering him the view of a lifetime.

Fighting back a smug smile at leaving the alpha literally speechless, Jimin purposefully posed himself in the most enticing way he could while he unlocked his door. All the while, he batted his eyelashes, innocently asking, “Doing okay there, Gguk?”

Jeongguk blinked, fumbled blindly, and then dropped his own keys with a soft clatter. He crouched down to get them, swearing under his breath, “Shit.”

Jimin’s following laugh was light and victorious. “Need any help?”

“Nope,” Jeongguk said quickly, clearing his throat. When he came back up after retrieving the keys, the tips of his ears were red in a way the omega had never witnessed before.

So, this is how he looks when he’s embarrassed, Jimin thought to himself, hopelessly enamored.

“When, uh—When did you start calling me that, by the way? I noticed it a few weeks ago.”

The omega’s grin turned into a confused frown. “Huh?”

“Gguk. It’s the second time you’ve called me that,” Jeongguk told him. He got his door open successfully the second time around and glanced over, looking significantly more composed now. “That nickname.”

Now, it was Jimin’s turn to blush. He looked off to the side, shifting on his feet. “Oh, uh… I don’t really know actually…”

From the corner of his eye, he caught it as the alpha smiled softly, “Well, it’s cute. I like it.”

At the same time as Jeongguk, Jimin slid into his entryway, letting his lips turn back up on one end. “Then, maybe I’ll keep calling you it, in that case.”

Jeongguk made a face like he was pretending to think about it. Jimin’s heart raced at the adorable sight of his scrunched nose. “I think I might like that.”

Jimin couldn’t help it—he grinned, making sure to flutter his eyelashes a bit when he said, “Have a good night, Gguk.”

Jeongguk opened his mouth, maybe to say something back, but instead, he only managed a long, shaky breath before the omega was slipping his own door shut with a quiet click, putting space between them.

The omega leaned on it for a second, grinning to himself. His heart was still racing, and there was a giddy, warm feeling in his chest. He shouldn’t even avoid teasing the alpha this much, but he did.

He knew that wasn’t the entirety of why he was feeling this way, though.

It was Jeongguk. The way he looked just now, the words he said.

“If everyone else wants you as much as I do.”

Was he just saying that as part of the tease? Did he mean it? If he did mean it, did he mean it casually? Jimin had too many questions and not enough answers.

And then the alpha mentioned something about wanting to keep Jimin. It had the omega worrying at his bottom lip as a series of thoughts racked his brain. Because… did the alpha have him? Even if he was joking, he seemed to think he did.

Jimin didn’t have to say the answer out loud to know already that Jeongguk was right.

He did have him. Entirely.

And he had for a while.

Despite knowing very well that spending an excessive amount of time with the alpha right now was probably the worst thing to cure the affections he’d been harboring, he was also hopeless to say no to the alpha’s offers to spend time together.

Jimin wanted to be around him—some would argue too much, actually—so what was he supposed to do when Jeongguk called him out of nowhere on a random Friday afternoon, asking if he was doing anything that night?

“Well, I made steak, and this guy I’m working for gave me a bottle of wine that I’m definitely not going to be able to finish by myself,” Jeongguk said. Jimin could hear the light flirtation in his deep, smooth voice. He knew the alpha was smiling in that charming way he tended to. “Does a certain omega want to come over, have dinner with me, and spend some time together?”

Pretending like he had to think about it, Jimin hummed and leaned back in his desk chair, where he had been completing a spreadsheet to send to his boss. He was smiling at the ceiling like a teenager enamored by someone for the first time. “Hm. Well, I think a certain omega would want to know what ‘spending some time together’ includes.”

“I see. My presence alone isn’t enough, huh? Strange, that usually works…” Jeongguk said with fake conceit, pretending to trail off at the end. It had Jimin biting back a grin. “In that case, I have some blank canvases and brushes here. I can run down to the store, get some fresh paint, and then promise this hard-to-please omega some painting on my very romantic living room floor, if that sweetens the pot?”

Jimin was shaking his head by this point, trying not to laugh. Jeongguk was only teasing, but the image of sitting next to one another on his floor while they painted and drank wine—Well, it had his pulse racing as eagerness overtook him. Trying to play it cool, he said back, “I suppose that would work. What time?”

“Is sometime after six okay? I’ve got to go to the store now, and I’m still finishing up some meetings here today.”

“Yeah, that sounds good. I’m working right now, too, anyway.”

“Perfect. Pick you up in my Mercedes at six o’clock sharp, then. Make sure you’re already outside, though, or I think your dad might call the cops.”

Jimin couldn’t help it anymore. He threw his head back, laughing into the phone as he said, “Oh, okay. So, you get to be some rich, bad boy in this scenario, and I’m a spoiled brat?”

“No part about you being a spoiled brat is part of this scenario, baby. That was inspired by real-life events—”

“Jeon Jeongguk!”

There was a cackle from the other end of the line, and Jimin sighed in exasperation, though his cheeks hurt from how hard he was smiling. “You’re such a jerk.”

“I’m only kidding, angel. I like the challenge. Don’t pout.”

Jimin found his lips turning down anyway as he grumbled out, “So, you do think I’m prissy.”

“Not prissy—picky, maybe.” The omega could tell Jeongguk was smiling as he spoke, and the admiration in his tone made all the teasing worth it. Something warm filled the omega’s chest as he ended the conversation with, “I’ll see you in a few hours, baby. Don’t work too hard.”

Angel. Baby. The pet names hadn’t gone away even after the last cycle they spent together, and Jimin was beginning to understand that they were going to stay. It was hard to admit how much that acknowledgement pleased him.

He smiled softly, keeping the phone to his ear until after he said, “Same to you. See you later, Gguk.”

When Jimin stepped foot inside Jeongguk’s apartment that night, it felt different from all the times before that he’d come over just to hang out with him.

He knocked at the door, and the alpha’s muffled voice filtered through. “Come in! It’s open!”

Jimin stepped in, closing the door behind him, and found his attention trained on the inside of the apartment immediately.

The lights were low with candles flickering on the coffee table and windowsills, their soft glow mixing with the warm hue of the floor lamp situated by the alpha’s couch. The smell of grilled steak and red wine infiltrated the air, every note enticing and savory. There was a paint tarp spread over the floor, a few blank canvases propped against the side of the coffee table, and an open bottle of red wine perched between two half-filled glasses on the bar in the kitchen.

Jimin hesitated at the entrance, his lips curving up. “Wow. This is…”

Jeongguk glanced over at him from the kitchen island, wearing a loose black button-up that put his collarbones and throat on display, the sleeves of it pushed to his elbows. “Awesome? A vibe? Super fun-looking? I know. I’m pretty incredible.”

Snickering, the omega walked over to where he was in the kitchen and stood by the bar, helping himself to one of the glasses of wine while the alpha finished cooking. “I was going to compliment it, but I won’t now, since you clearly do just fine on your own.”

Jeongguk chuckled and continued searing the steak, shaking his head. “Damn, you never let me have anything, do you? I guess this is my lesson to keep my mouth shut next time.”

“Mhm.” Jimin took a sip of the wine, enjoying the smooth, rich taste of it. “Do you need help with anything?”

“No, I’ve got it. Everything’s pretty much ready. I just need to plate these and get something on the TV.” Jeongguk said as he turned the burner on the stove off and set the steak aside to rest. He washed his hands and dried them with a clean hand towel that was casually swung over one of his shoulders. “Are you in the mood for music or a show?”

Jimin wandered into the living room, intent on helping even if it only meant clicking a few buttons on a remote. “Hm. Music, maybe? Do you have a preference?”

“I already know we’re going to talk the entire time,” Jeongguk teased with a smile, “so, maybe music?”

Nodding dutifully, Jimin switched through apps until he got to Spotify. There, he turned on a playlist after minutes of him and the alpha going back and forth on what kind of genres they like, before settling on a chill pop music ensemble.

Afterwards, they gathered at the coffee table to eat. Their knees kept brushing, and they shared bites of food from each other’s plates, despite having the same meal. They both caught the other person up on how their week had been, and then laughed when Jeongguk complained that Jimin’s glass of wine kept “mysteriously refilling” every time he looked away. The alpha’s scent mingled with the faint sweetness of Jimin’s own rose pheromones, and the smell of good wine and better food in the air made everything more enchanting.

Somewhere in the silence, it started to feel extremely intimate. At least, it was far more intimate than something that was supposed to be strictly casual.

One dinner was finished, and the dishes were cleared away, Jeongguk pulled out the brushes and paint. 

“I thought you’d like this,” he said a couple of minutes into them working on their individual canvases. “You said you missed doing something creative with your hands.”

Jimin raised a brow, smiling faintly as warmth spread through his chest. “You remembered that?”

“Of course I did,” Jeongguk told him easily.

They end up sitting side-by-side on the tarp, barefoot and tipsy, painting nonsense on small canvases. Jeongguk drew a sloppy cherry blossom branch with crooked leaves. Jimin painted a dolphin from memory and refused to explain to the alpha how it came out looking more like a shark than anything else. They laughed until their stomachs hurt and there were tears brimming in their eyes. They traded stained brushes and smeared paint on each other’s arms in retaliation for insults like children.

At some point, the laughter faded—replaced by something quieter. The atmosphere was soft and inviting, and… romantic.

Jeongguk leaned back on one hand, watching Jimin swipe a brush over the canvas, the omega’s lips pursed in concentration as he tried to make the background look like an ocean. The candlelight had gold flickering against his skin, highlighting the curve of his neck and the smudge of pink paint that had made its way onto his jaw after he commented on the alpha’s flowers looking wilted.

“Hold still,” Jeongguk murmured, reaching forward. Jimin looked in his direction and froze when the alpha brushed his thumb along his face, wiping away the streak of paint. After, though, his hand remained—caressing, admiring.

Jimin’s heart raced. The air between them thickened out of nowhere.

“Thanks,” he said quietly.

Jeongguk’s thumb slid down to his chin, where he pressed until the omega’s face was perfectly angled up at him. Their eyes locked, and Jimin felt like he couldn’t breathe as the alpha’s dark gaze pinned him in place, taking in every inch of his face.

It didn’t feel like the other times they looked at one another—didn’t feel like the other times they touched. There was no instinct, no rush born of desire. It was just them. This was raw, and it was earnest.

Jimin exhaled, and his next words came out softer than intended, like he was unconsciously trying not to ruin the moment. “You’re staring.”

“I know,” the alpha replied, voice equally as quiet.

Before the omega could even try to get another word in, lips were on his.

It might as well have been the first kiss they ever shared—it felt so new and all-consuming.

The kiss was gentle at first. There was the faint taste of wine and the heat of their mixed breaths, and then Jimin’s hand came up to rest against Jeongguk’s chest. It was slow—almost uncertain—until Jimin sighed against the alpha’s mouth and deepened it with the subtle tilting of his head, lips parting, tongue tangling shyly against Jeongguk’s.

And the alpha seemed happy to let that happen. In fact, he hummed against the omega’s mouth and let his other hand find the hot nape of Jimin’s neck. There, he guided the omega into a firmer, harsher kiss, guiding their movements and slowly taking Jimin apart.

It felt fucking incredible.

Jimin’s chest was bursting with warmth at this point, and every nerve ending in his body felt like it was on fire. He clung to the alpha more and more, pulling him impossibly closer like he hoped the kiss might consume him.

Jeongguk groaned and seemed reluctant to break away, only doing so to allow them both to breathe.

Blinking his eyes open, Jimin panted, trying to recover from the intense moment as they pulled apart. Slowly, their personal space returned. And for a long time after, they just sat there on the living room floor, stealing glances at one another.

Then, the omega laughed, quiet and dazed. “That was, um… I, uh, didn’t expect that to happen.”

“Yeah, me either,” Jeongguk agreed, a charming smile working its way onto his face and a glimmer twinkling in his eyes. He ran a hand through his hair. “But I’m not sorry that it did.”

They stayed like that for a while—basking in the kiss as candles burned low around them, the smell of paint and red wine almost as obvious in the air as the want that was evident in their pheromones.

There was no heat or rut or anything they could use to excuse what just happened.

It was just them.

When the omega finally left the alpha’s apartment late that night, it was with warm alcohol flowing through his veins and languid movements to the door.

Jeongguk wished him a good night and promised to see him again soon, and Jimin lingered there, a part of him secretly hoping the alpha would indulge him with another kiss.

And Jeongguk did.

Dark eyes slipped to the omega’s lips, and Jimin tilted his chin up. Jeongguk leaned one forearm against the door frame and leaned in, capturing him in another sweet, heart-pounding kiss.

By the time the omega got home and slipped under the covers of his own bed, his face was still crimson, and his eyes were wide open as he replayed the night’s events in his head over and over.

His feelings went far beyond a crush—a fact he knew very well by now.

But tonight also went far beyond a friendly hangout, and that made less sense.

It was Jeongguk who kissed him—twice, according to the omega’s drunken mind.

Jimin wished he could understand what the alpha was thinking. There was so much he wanted to ask, to say. But for now, at risk of losing what good thing they had going, he decided to just quietly indulge.

He could continue to do that much, at least. Right?

In Jimin’s defense, the box ended up being far heavier than it looked.

He ordered a new side table online and practically raced down the lobby to pick it up when he saw the notification that it had arrived. Now, he was stuck balancing it against his knee as the elevator doors slid open, the muscles in his arms burning with the effort of keeping it up as he tried to walk with it.

He was barely halfway in the elevator when a familiar, amused voice said from somewhere behind him, “You’re going to drop it.”

Looking up, Jimin saw the alpha standing there in a loose black t-shirt with his hair tied up and raised brows.

“I’m fine,” the omega huffed, trying to sound confident even as the box wobbled dangerously in his arms like it was trying to prove him wrong.

Quickly, Jeongguk stepped forward with a sigh that was half-fond and half-exasperated. “Come on. Let me get it.”

Stubborn, Jimin frowned. “I’m an independent, perfectly capable—”

“I know you are,” the alpha said with a laugh. “You don’t have to prove yourself to me. Just hand it over.”

Pouting, the omega relented and allowed the alpha to take the cardboard box from his arms. Jimin watched as the alpha’s muscles flexed in his arms as he adjusted the box. He didn't strain the way the omega had been, and stepped into the elevator without a single sign that the weight was affecting him in any way.

“Thanks…” Jimin told him when they got up to his apartment after catching up on how their past few days had been. The omega did end up going back to the alpha’s place two nights after the Accidental Date™, as he had been referring to it. They made instant noodles, binge-watched the entire second season of Solo Leveling, and didn’t go their separate ways until one in the morning. It was a night of banter and them being cozied up on a leather couch together under a blanket.

They didn't kiss again, but that didn't mean Jimin had stopped thinking about it—nor had he stopped thinking about how much he wanted it to happen again.

It’s been a week since then, and they haven’t seen one another. Now, they were in the omega’s apartment in the middle of the day, and the alpha was glancing at him over his shoulder, casually asking, “Where do you want it?”

“Just right there by the TV is fine, thank you.”

With a soft thud, the alpha set the box down and ran a hand through his hair. “What’s in here, anyway? Bricks?”

The omega laughed and crossed his arms, standing in the middle of the living room. “It’s a side table. I needed a second one for the other side of the couch out here, so…”

Jeongguk hummed and wiped his palms over the leg of his black jeans. He assessed the empty spot in the room by the sofa. “It’ll look good there.”

Jimin’s heart fluttered—over such a simple comment. Softly, he said, “I think so too.”

They stood there for a moment, the silence stretching. Faintly, the scent of vetiver made its appearance in the room the longer the alpha stayed in his apartment. Jimin found himself happy about the intrusion.

Glancing over, the omega could see the strain in the alpha’s jaw and could watch the way his eyes traveled from Jimin’s mouth to his bare collarbone, where the loose neckline of his shirt left him exposed.

Jeongguk stepped back, clearly preparing to make his exit. “Well, I guess I should let you—”

“Wait.” Jimin moved before he had a chance to think, stepping between the door and the alpha, pressing his back against the wood to keep it shut. The motion was so sudden and unexpected that Jeongguk was left blinking at him, eyes wide with shock. Feeling embarrassed, the omega turned his face to the side and muttered, “It’s just… You could stay for a little while? If you want to…”

A beat of silence passed.

Then, Jimin heard the alpha step closer and come to a stop in front of him. A big hand found the door right next to the omega’s head. The space between them closed inch by inch until Jimin could feel the warmth rolling off the alpha in waves.

He didn’t look up until Jeongguk prompted him with fingers at his chin. Their eyes met, and the alpha searched his face. “Are you close to your heat?”

Jimin knew he could lie. Jeongguk was giving him a way out. He could say yes and use it as an excuse. He could get what he wanted the easy way.

But…

“No,” he breathed out. “It’s not for almost another three weeks.”

Jeongguk’s tongue prodded into the side of his cheek. He assessed the omega for another moment. Then, he said, “Okay.”

His gaze slipped down to the omega’s mouth. Without hesitation, Jimin closed his eyes, and the alpha leaned in.

The kiss came soft yet firm—like something inevitable slotting into place.

Nothing was hurried or desperate, or driven by fleeting moments of heat. The kiss itself felt like relief. And when Jeongguk cupped his face, guided him to tilt his head, and deepened it—

It felt like everything they’d been trying to contain broke free.

The rest blurred into warmth and closeness as hands found familiar places, lips traveled, and the echoes of their bated breaths and soft moans bounced from wall to wall in the small apartment. The sexual tension was just as evident as it was during their cycles. The only difference was that there was no wolf to blame it on—no primal instinct at the forefront, no excuses in the form of needs.

It was just them, and they were just as wrapped up in each other as they had been every time before when they had done this.

The alpha picked Jimin up and carried him off to the bedroom with memorized ease, navigating the hallway and depositing him on the mattress with startling gentleness. Their mouths never left one another’s bodies as clothes came off and their scents tangled with arousal.

Soft laughter was muffled by their lips when something funny happened, and the lust remained in moments where one of them teased the other with a knowing touch or subtle shift.

Finally, the unspoken was coming to light, and at least for now, it was allowed to exist.

When the sun shifted in the window a few hours later, basking the bedroom in dark, rich reds and oranges, the pair were wrapped up in bed with the comforter over their bare bodies, Jimin’s cheek resting on the alpha’s chest as a movie played on the television in the corner as a mere backdrop to their quiet moment.

Both of them were too comfortable to move and hadn’t done so since a shower that happened an hour before. Their hair was still damp, and the room stunk with sex, but it was nice. Peaceful.

Jimin worried that it would feel tense afterwards—complicated. They’d crossed another line, of course.

But it didn’t feel that way. Surprisingly, it felt easy. It felt natural.

Jeongguk reached down and brushed his hand along Jimin’s ankle from where the omega’s leg was slung carelessly over his body. His eyes were soft when they found the omega. “This okay?”

Jimin smiled, sleepy and content. He murmured, “Yeah. It’s okay.”

The alpha's question could have meant anything. He could've meant the cuddling, the movie, or his hand on Jimin's leg. But he also could've meant this—them together like this, outside of a heat. No matter which he intended, the omega's answer was the same.

He didn’t know what this meant for them. But, for once, he felt like he didn’t need to know, either.

Maybe this wasn’t just about cycles anymore. Maybe… this was just about the two of them doing what felt good.

And maybe that’s exactly what he’d been needing all along.

So, he cozied up to the alpha and closed his eyes, intent on resting. When he felt the soft touch of a kiss placed against his head, he smiled, perfectly content.

Time slipped into a rhythm that neither of them had planned for.

As summer came and went, there was time between Jeongguk's last rut cycle and Jimin’s next scheduled heat. In that time, they’d slept together—outside of a rut or heat. They’d kissed on an evening that felt a lot like a date. Lines were being crossed left and right, and neither of them was saying anything about it. It was like they were frightened it would break the spell they were under, or burst the bubble they’d found themselves in.

They were still texting regularly, still spending time together just for the sake of doing it because they enjoyed one another’s company.

In the thick of early autumn, Jimin’s next heat slipped into their lives quietly.

The evenings were starting to get cooler, reminding the omega of when they first met. Again, he became partial to light sweaters and fuzzy socks, and found himself wearing them with a pair of soft pants on a Saturday in September as he opened up his apartment door to welcome the alpha in for his heat.

And instead of it feeling like an arrangement, it felt to Jimin like the alpha was simply coming back home—something too intense for him to dare saying out loud as the alpha smiled and greeted him with as much sweetness as always.

And, sure, there was still heat, urgency—everything that made electricity fly as Jeongguk picked him up without a word and brought him to the nest. But now there were small things that lingered, too. Like when Jeongguk’s hand brushed through the omega’s hair until he fell asleep, or the way he murmured Jimin’s name softly during sex between the pet names, as if he didn’t want to forget the taste of it once his instincts returned to normal.

A few weeks later, when Jeongguk’s rut hit, it was the same as the omega’s heat. Jimin found himself anticipating their proximity long before the first wave even arrived. When he stepped into Jeongguk’s space, the air was already heavy with vetiver and warmth, and there was no hesitation from either of them. The connection was stronger than before, like it was only growing more tangible every day.

There were soft, lingering touches, glances back and forth, and a steady hum of awareness thrumming between them. The walk to the room was easy—almost as easy as the slow departure of clothing and gradual entanglement of their bodies together under the sheets.

Jeongguk didn’t mark him again this time. Jimin actively worked to ignore the faint traces of disappointment that he felt over that. What lessened the feeling was that, during the rut, he would catch Jeongguk glancing at his neck over and over, almost like he was contemplating it—like he was working hard to hold back.

Jimin basked in how good he felt every time the alpha scented him with kisses and licks over sweaty skin. It was clear Jeongguk was going to get as close to the line as he could without crossing it, and Jimin was more than willing to let him do exactly that.

The rut broke on the sixth day, just after sunset.

Jeongguk’s apartment felt quiet in the wake of it. Fading pheromones, low lights, and air thick with the scent of vetiver set the stage. The atmosphere slowly melted into something calm and almost tender. Jimin felt wrung out in the best possible way—loose and clean and relaxed—as he rested against the alpha’s pillows while Jeongguk showered.

When the alpha emerged afterwards with wet hair and shirtless with low-slung sweatpants on, Jimin glanced over and offered a small smile at his relaxed, tired eyes.

“Stay for dinner,” came Jeongguk’s voice in a smooth, low voice. It wasn’t phrased as a command, but it didn’t sound like a question either. He said it like Jimin staying for a meal was the most natural thing in the world.

And the omega nodded, not believing there was a single reality in which he wouldn't say yes.

With a slow walk over, the alpha helped the omega out of bed with gentle hands and led them into the kitchen together. Once there, he sat Jimin down in a chair and brought him a blanket to keep warm, despite the omega not asking for one. Cozied up, Jimin spoke with the alpha in a low murmur about what to eat when prompted.

After deciding, Jimin got to watch with a small smile and dreamy eyes as the alpha cooked. He moved around the kitchen with ease—shifting and grabbing things as needed, movements steady. The soft clink of utensils and quiet sizzling of meat in a pan made the ambience better and left Jimin feeling a sense of calm in the aftermath of the intense rut. It all felt so… domestic.

To make matters worse on behalf of Jimin’s heart, now and then, Jeongguk would glance over his shoulder at Jimin sitting on the counter. The omega was dressed in one of the alpha’s big shirts with fluffy hair, with the blanket draped over his body. Every time he looked over, Jeongguk’s dark, observant eyes would fall over his figure sitting at the table, and soften.

Jimin would blush and look away. “You’re staring.”

“You look adorable.”

“I look tired.”

“And adorable.”

The omega huffed and snuck a glance just in time to catch Jeongguk’s faint dimple appearing before he’d turn away to focus on the food on the stovetop again.

They ended up sitting directly across from each other at the kitchen table, which led to their legs brushing under it. The food was mouth-wateringly good, especially after days of quick meals and dried snacks. Jimin shoveled it down with occasional, grateful hums that made Jeongguk smile and sit a little straighter, like he was proud to give the omega a replenishing meal.

When Jimin’s share was nearly gone, Jeongguk leaned his arm across the table and placed a few extra slices of beef on his plate. Jimin blinked at him in confusion, only for the alpha to nod his head at the food and softly prompt, “Eat a bit more.”

The omega noted the protectiveness the alpha was displaying—the blanket, the pride, the extra food—but didn’t say anything about it. It was probably just because his wolf was still feeling possessive post-rut. Jimin couldn’t allow himself to think anything more of it, so he didn’t. Even if he wanted to.

A little while later, nearly all the food was gone. Jimin knew that, once they’d finished eating and cleaned up, he’d have to go back to his apartment. So, he quietly sat and ate the cooled-off meal, trying not to think about their inevitable departure.

That was when Jeongguk cleared his throat in a way that prompted the omega to look over at him curiously. He was staring at the table, jaw flexing like he was contemplating something.

Then, without glancing over, he exhaled long and slow.

“When I said before that I wasn’t looking to date anyone… it’s not because I don’t want to.”

Jimin’s fork stilled, and he tugged the blanket closer around his body, heart suddenly racing because why was he bringing this up out of nowhere?

After a moment, Jeongguk continued.

“I just… got tired of letting people in and not feeling understood. Sometimes, it felt like they didn’t really want me, but this version of me—or who they wanted me to be.” Finally, his gaze lifted, and Jimin’s breath caught in his throat at the honesty in his eyes. “I didn’t want to keep giving pieces of myself to people who didn’t really see me. It got exhausting.”

Taking in the words, the silence stretched as Jimin processed them. Then, in slow, measured movements, he put his silverware down and swallowed before speaking.

“I’m the same way, actually,” he admitted softly.

Jeongguk looked at him as he spoke, fully attentive.

“Heats always went better alone, and relationships always felt like more work than they were worth. I also…” Jimin paused, pursing his lips and deciding to drift his gaze away, unable to look at the alpha as he admitted, “I don’t like needing people. I don’t like giving someone the chance to disappoint me. So… it was always easier to be alone.”

'Was' being the keyword, Jimin noted internally.

The quiet that fell between them wasn’t tense, but full of something that felt almost like understanding—like relief. It was relief over finally saying it, relief at understanding each other better than before.

Jeongguk leaned back in his chair, studying the omega with an intensity that had every inhale Jimin took feeling like he still wasn’t getting enough air to his lungs.

When his next words came, they were spoken low and sure, and had Jimin’s pulse racing.

“I feel like you understand me—maybe even better than some close friends,” Jeongguk confessed.

Jimin dared to glance back over, and they shared a long, steady look.

Quietly, he added his own confession.

“I feel the same way, and I… really enjoy being around you.”

The alpha’s eyes widened a fraction at the same time that his shoulders eased, as if he’d just gotten an answer he’d been searching for.

No more confessions came, no grand promises. In the aftermath of their conversation, there was just a realization, and a slow, simmering hope.

Either Jimin was reading very poorly into this, or… it sounded like they soothed each other’s worries perfectly, and fit together like the two final missing pieces of a puzzle.

The rest of their meal went by in near silence as they both sat with the shared words, thinking to themselves and recovering from the exhausting rut.

When Jeongguk eventually showed Jimin to the door, it was with a brush of knuckles to the omega’s cheek and a soft kiss to the other.

And that was enough.

For now, at least.

With all things in life, change was inevitable.

Eventually, the humid air made its final detour, and the cold days and even chillier nights returned for good.

Life got busy, and time passed.

Jimin didn’t see the alpha again until after the leaves turned their shades of brown and red and fell from the trees. They still messaged one another, but Jeongguk was caught up with a series of contracts and left with not a lot of spare time. 

And Jimin knew that was true—had no doubts, in fact.

But…

He missed Jeongguk. So, so much.

The longing inside him felt like a physical ache in his chest, like something squeezing around his heart in a vice grip, pleading for his attention.

For those weeks without seeing each other, there were several times when he pulled up Jeongguk’s contact and hovered his finger over the call button, desperate just to hear his voice.

Sometimes, he would loiter by his front door, waiting for the moment footsteps came down the hallway in the hope that they were Jeongguk’s, so that he might catch a glimpse of the alpha through his peephole. But it was always someone else.

Jimin knew he could speak to him—knew he should.

But it felt impossible.

Anytime he tried to work up the nerve, his doubts got the better of him. It had been so long since he liked someone that he forgot how pernicious the thought of rejection was. And he knew that, especially after their last interaction, there was no way he could continue to be normal around the alpha. He felt like he was about to burst at the seams with his affections, and he couldn’t see Jeongguk and not be obvious right now.

So, really, it was better that they’d only been texting. Because Jimin couldn’t feel this way and just be friends with him right now, and he knew the feelings weren’t going away any time soon.

And getting rejected would hurt, so he didn’t want to risk it.

It was difficult to picture his life without Jeongguk in it now. They knew so much about one another, talked nearly every day, and went to each other for company in and outside of the bedroom.

Things had gotten so complicated, and their lives were entwined now. He was sure, based on everything he had confessed the last time they were together, that Jeongguk knew—to some degree, at least—the feelings he had for him. 

But that wasn’t the same as openly admitting how he felt to the alpha. If he did that, it would give Jeongguk a direct opening to reject him. As things were now, Jimin still had plausible deniability. In a few weeks, things might return to normal. He could continue seeing the alpha, and keep him in his life—even if not in the way he wanted. Or… thought he wanted.

The idea of dating was still intimidating. In truth, the only thing that made it seem possible was that it would be with Jeongguk.

The point was that there were still so many unknowns, and not saying anything was the safe option. It gave Jimin the clearest path to protecting his heart.

So, the weeks passed by. October went and November came, and with it, the yearning in Jimin’s chest only continued to grow.

It was only a matter of time until they bumped into each other again.

And, as usual, the elevator was at the scene of the crime.

Jimin had come into the lobby on a chilly afternoon with a thick sweater on and headphones that doubled as ear muffs. His cheeks were windburned, and his bangs were in his face, messy from running errands in the city all morning.

He sighed in relief as he stepped onto the elevator, quick to lean back against the furthest wall and drop his head down, exhausted.

After a long few moments, the doors began closing, but they stopped halfway through. There were footsteps, and then the weight in the elevator shifted as someone got on and stood to the omega’s right.

“Jimin?”

Looking up, the omega’s eyes widened at the sight of Jeongguk.

He was dressed in a button-up and dress pants, the sleeves of the shirt rolled up to the elbows to display a watch and his tattoos. The faintest hint of cologne clung to his skin, and it complemented the vetiver in the most flattering way.

When their gazes met, the air immediately thickened with tension.

The omega shifted on his feet. The elevator doors shut. “Hey.”

Jeongguk gave him an up and down look. “Hey. Busy morning?”

Nodding, Jimin offered a smile, hoping it didn’t give away how every nerve in his body was screaming at him to get closer to the alpha. His omega was desperate for him—almost as desperate as Jimin himself. Now that they were in the same space, he needed him so much closer.

“Yeah, you could say that,” he laughed, explaining, “I’ve been out of my apartment since… eight, I think? I had a bunch of errands to run, and for some reason, I thought waiting until the last minute to do all of them at once was the best course of action.”

The alpha smiled at that and pocketed his phone, leaning one shoulder against the wall to face the omega properly. “Yeah? Well, look, at least you get to relax at home now.”

Jimin sighed dramatically, grinning. “Ah, exactly. That’s what I’ve been telling myself all day to convince my aching calves the walking was worth it.”

They smile at each other, and a beat of silence passes, the numbers on the elevator ticking up and up.

“So…” Jimin started, shifting aimlessly again. “How has your day been?”

Jeongguk was still looking at him, answering the question in an almost passive way, like the conversation was not where his focus was. “It’s fine. I had to go to a construction site today to oversee progress on a job, but everything is going fine, so there wasn’t much work for me to do.”

“Is there more work to do when you get home?” Jimin asked conversationally.

“There always is.” The alpha shrugged. “I’ll wrap up around six either way, though. Some friends want to go out for drinks later.”

“I hope you guys have fun.”

“Thanks,” Jeongguk said. Another moment of silence. “What about you? Any plans for tonight?”

Jimin laughed. “Absolutely not. I’m going to eat, take a bath, and rot on my couch for the rest of the day with reality TV and no regrets.”

The alpha smiled again, a disarming sight. It had the omega’s pulse racing in that dangerous way it always did. Jeongguk pushed off the wall as the elevator drew to a stop and the doors began opening on their floor. “Well, that sounds nice. I hope your night is relaxing. You deserve it after such a busy morning.”

He didn’t step out and instead just continued watching Jimin for a moment. So, the omega assumed he was waiting for him and moved off the back wall, beginning to walk out of the elevator.

That was when the alpha caught his arm at the last second and pulled him back in, catching the omega off guard. “Jimin.”

Breath hitching, the omega let himself be shifted around and put against the nearest wall. Jeongguk pressed the button to close the elevator doors and kept one hand on Jimin, his other going to the wall by his head.

The look in his eyes was intense, dark, and full of desire. His jaw was tight and his tongue in his cheek, like he was trying hard to hold himself back.

“What is it?” Jimin asked, words strained.

Jeongguk shook his head, lips parting as he tried to find the words.

The elevator dinged as the doors closed, and the alpha pressed closer, their lower bodies coming flush together and making the omega squirm with need. They were so close now, and it still didn’t feel like enough.

“I’ve been trying…” he eventually said, speaking in a near whisper. His eyes search Jimin’s own. “I’ve been trying to think about some things for the past few weeks. I know we’ve seen a lot less of each other, and I’m sorry for that, but it gave me time to think. And I decided that I… I…”

He stopped, pursing his lips like he couldn’t muster the rest of the sentence.

Jimin’s brows knit together, and his palms press into the cool wall behind him. He could sense that this conversation was going to be serious by the look on the alpha’s face alone, and he tried to brace himself. “What? You decided what?”

Another head shake. Jeongguk’s expression turned almost desperate as he said, “I decided that I… can’t keep doing this.”

Chest tightening with worry over what he could mean, the omega pursed his lips and waited for the rejection to come. No amount of trying to brace himself would work—he knew that—but he still tried anyway.

“I won’t make things confusing for you, and I’m sorry if I ever did.” Jeongguk’s words were steady, his tone sincere. “I let it go on too long. I kept you in the dark, and I’m… just very sorry for that.”

“Jeongguk…”

“Just… please, let me say this. After that, I’ll stop. I swear.”

Unable to take much more, Jimin swallowed hard and nodded, looking off to the side.

The alpha let go of his arm and brought a hand up to cup the omega’s face. Using his thumb, he shifted Jimin’s chin so he would have to look up at him. The omega frowned, knowing everything would be so much harder if he had to make eye contact with him.

“Please, look at me,” Jeongguk requested, eyes softening.

Helplessly weak when it came to him, Jimin relented with a nod and a shaky, “Okay…”

“I’m going to say this, and you don’t even have to say anything back, okay? There’s no pressure at all. I just need to put it out there. I need you to know.”

Anxiety was a thick knot in the omega’s throat, making him feel like he was choking on air. He blinked once, then again. Another nod—because it felt like that was all he could manage right now.

Jeongguk took a deep breath, steadying himself.

Then, looking into Jimin’s eyes, he finally spoke.

“I have feelings for you.”

The words sat in the elevator with them, the weight of them imitating the impression of another person. They were an embodiment of something all of their own—something heavy and final.

Jimin didn’t speak. He didn’t feel capable of speech. His mind was too busy racing, thoughts trying to catch up with the current moment.

“I’ve felt this way about you for months, and I didn’t say anything because I thought those feelings might go away,” the alpha explained, very careful about his phrasing. “But they didn’t. And I still didn’t say anything because I was afraid of what it meant. I didn’t want to stop seeing you, but I didn’t know how to tell you what I felt without that happening.”

The omega’s pulse was so quick, and his vision was starting to swim. It got to the point where the walls of the elevator felt like they were closing in on him.

“And that was selfish of me, and I know that,” Jeongguk told the omega, still searching his eyes. “And I’m about to be even more selfish, if you let me.”

His gaze dropped to Jimin’s lips.

Despite still being overwhelmed with the onslaught of information, the omega was in tune enough with what was going on to understand the alpha’s silent question. He nodded again, eyes pleading, and Jeongguk didn’t waste a second.

He surged forward, capturing Jimin’s lips in a hot, greedy kiss. Teeth clashed, and their mouths slotted together, and the alpha immediately tilted his head to deepen the kiss, apparently clamoring to take as much from the omega in that moment as he could.

The kiss was passionate and rough, and Jimin matched his energy in haste. He clawed at the fabric of the alpha’s shirt and tugged him in until there was no room to breathe between their bodies. He parted his lips and allowed the alpha access to slip his tongue in, and welcomed it with a soft moan.

It felt like the final pieces of a puzzle being laid out. It felt like every ounce of need and want, longing and wishing—all of it crescendoed in this moment where they were together.

Clarity hit Jimin, and waves of emotion overcame him.

Jeongguk liked him. He had feelings for him in the same way Jimin did.

For the first time in months, it felt like they were on the same page.

The fear of the unknown was still there, but he no longer worried about the alpha not accepting his feelings.

The dozens of emotions he felt all at once flooded his scent, spiking the rose with twinges of hysteria and aching desire. Of course, Jeongguk noticed and pulled back, pressing their foreheads together as he panted out, “What? What is it? Is it the kiss? Did I misread—”

“No. No,” Jimin was quick to reassure. He blinked his eyes open and found Jeongguk already watching him, observant orbs assessing him for any sign of discomfort. “You didn’t misread anything.”

The alpha stroked his cheek, eyebrows pulling together. “Tell me what you’re thinking.”

“I’m thinking that I’ve been half in love with you for months, and I had no idea you liked me back,” Jimin confessed.

Jeongguk’s breath hitched at the words. He tilted his face to the side, nosing along the omega’s temple and the side of his head as he continued.

“I’m mad at you for not saying anything, but I'm more mad at myself for feeling that way, because I didn’t say anything either. I was so scared you wouldn’t want to see me anymore.”

The alpha shook his head, muttering, “There isn’t a world where I wouldn’t want to see you.”

Jimin’s heart soared. “I’m also… thinking about the fact that I’m still scared.”

At that, the alpha drew back enough to look at him again, still gently cupping his face. The gesture was comforting and had Jimin leaning into his touch. “Why?”

A shrug. “I haven’t dated in years. It always went south when I did. We both said we didn’t want to date because it complicated things, and I know that we get along well now, but…”

Seemingly realizing they were still in the elevator, the alpha took Jimin by the hand and muttered, “Come here,” before pressing the button to open the doors and having them both step off on their floor. They began walking side-by-side down the hall in the direction of their apartments, and the alpha didn’t let go of his hand. Instead, he shifted his palm and slid his fingers between Jimin’s, holding his hand.

Jimin looked down at their intertwined fingers, unable to get over the sight.

Jeongguk pocketed his other hand and nodded. “Those are… understandable concerns. I didn’t want to date anyone, and I know you have your reasons too. But, at least for me, things are different now.”

He stopped by Jimin’s door and shifted to face the omega, looking at him as he said with complete seriousness, “I want to be with you. Even when I dated people in the past, I never felt this way about them. It makes me want to try. If that’s not what you want, I’ll… understand. But if it is, I don’t see why we can’t at least try.”

And just like that, he put the ball in Jimin’s court. He said what he wanted to and left the decision up to the omega. It was a lot of pressure. That being said, Jimin already knew his answer.

He pursed his lips and nodded, shy when he said, “I want to try.”

Jeongguk’s shoulders visibly relaxed, and the alpha bit back a grin. “Okay.”

Jimin shifted on his feet, face red. “So…”

The alpha stepped closer, took the omega’s face into his hands again, and was smiling as he said, “So… will you let me take you on a date? A proper one?”

The omega tried to fight back his own smile, but it didn’t work. His heart fluttered at the mere thought of going on a real date with the alpha. He nodded enthusiastically. “Yes. Absolutely yes.”

Jeongguk leaned in and kissed him again, though this one was mostly teeth with both of them grinning like fools between messy pecks. The alpha hummed. “Good. I’ll text you later today. Set up a day.”

In between chaste kisses, Jimin asked dreamily, “What are we going to do?”

“You won’t get to find that out until it happens, angel.”

Jimin broke off to throw his head back in laughter. “Just say you have no idea.”

“I don’t have any idea right now,” Jeongguk admitted with a chuckle, “but even when I do, you’re not going to know.”

“Mhm. Fine,” Jimin relented, letting himself get pulled into another kiss.

They were still technically in public, but neither cared.

It was just them.

Finally, they were on the same page, and the aching feeling in the omega’s chest disappeared for the first time in weeks.

He was still nervous, but if it was with Jeongguk, he was willing to try.

They planned their date for Saturday night the following week.

Jimin spent way too long getting ready. He was anxious the entire time—giddy and nervous. He had to take in deep breaths while putting on his mascara so he didn’t mess it up, and changed ten different times before finally picking an outfit that he liked.

In the end, he assessed himself at the full-length mirror in his bedroom and decided that he looked incredible. He settled on a backless, long-sleeved white top and dark blue slacks, with dress shoes and jewelry to complement the outfit. He’d likely be cold as the night crept in, but it was worth it if he felt confident in what he had on, which he did.

By the time he was finished grabbing a bag and putting on lip gloss, there was a knock at his door.

With a racing heart, he drew it back and was awe-struck at the sight of Jeongguk in the hallway, dressed up, holding a bouquet.

The alpha had been looking down the corridor when the door drew back, but at the sight of the omega, his lips parted, and all of his focus honed in on Jimin's appearance. Shamelessly, the omega was doing the same. Jeongguk was wearing a black turtleneck with a leather jacket thrown over top, and dress pants paired with boots. His dark hair was styled back with a few purposefully loose strands, and the flowers he had looked colorful and fresh. The scent of vetiver and lavender soap clung to him in a way that made Jimin’s pulse skip.

“Wow.”

It took Jimin a moment to register the word as it came from the alpha’s mouth. When he finally noticed, he blinked, trying to snap himself out of his stupor. “You look… really good.”

“I look—” Jeongguk’s brows rose. “You look fucking incredible.”

Blushing, Jimin ducked his head as he pulled the door open more, allowing the alpha in. “Thanks.”

Jeongguk walked in and took in the apartment, glancing around. It had been several weeks since he’d last been inside, and it was probably intense to step foot back in the place where Jimin’s scent was most prominent after growing unaccustomed to it again.

“Are… those for me?” Jimin asked, feeling oddly shy.

As if remembering he had them, Jeongguk extended the bouquet with sudden urgency. “Oh. Yeah, they’re yours. I realized while I was getting them that I never asked what kind of flowers are your favorite, so I just went off memory of what I saw in your house before. I hope they’re okay.”

Jimin was touched by the gesture, gently taking the bundle of flowers from the alpha and walking them into his kitchen so he could offer them a temporary home in a vase of his until he could properly trim and water them later on. As he transferred them over, he heard a sharp inhale.

“Wow…”

Confused, the omega glanced over his shoulder and found the alpha in the doorway of the kitchen, awestruck by him.

Blushing, Jimin asked, “What? Why are you looking at me like that?”

Rather than answer, Jeongguk approached slowly.

His pupils were blown wide, and he was quiet—seemingly distracted. When a warm, gentle touch graced the dip of Jimin’s bare back, the omega inhaled sharply, straightening up as understanding hit him. He nearly forgot the shirt was exposed at the back. Heat flooded him as the alpha’s hand trailed up and down the curve of his spine, caressing and admiring. Still facing the kitchen counter, Jimin gripped the edge and waited there with bated breath, his eyelashes fluttering as he basked in the pleasurable touch.

Then, right by the shell of his ear, he felt the alpha’s breath and heard him close when he muttered, “You’re gorgeous, and it’s driving me a little bit insane.”

A shiver ran down Jimin’s spine—one Jeongguk was certainly able to feel. The alpha’s other hand found the omega’s hip, and then he was pressing kisses to the sensitive back of Jimin’s neck and peppering down with every sigh and hum that slipped from the omega’s lips.

“Gguk.”

A deep, rumbling noise and another kiss—this one open-mouthed. “Hm. Love when you call me that.”

Jimin’s vision blurred, and he closed his eyes, face getting hot as arousal began to warm his cheeks. This was all so overwhelming. Jeongguk was openly admiring him now—flirting and being affectionate in ways the omega had been craving. It was like the second the alpha was allowed to, all he wanted to do was express his attraction for Jimin.

He found his hands gripping the counter’s edge in a too-tight grip. He bit down on his bottom lip to contain a plea. Desperately, he wanted to give in—to do the same as Jeongguk and fall head-first into whatever it was they were doing now.

But that would feel too much like taking a risk. It would feel like diving off a cliff, and Jimin was only prepared for a calm swim downstream this early on. They needed to pace themselves. It was important to see if this was what they both truly wanted.

So, he did the hardest thing he could’ve and pulled away.

With a full step to the side, Jimin turned around and put space between them. Laughing softly, he worked to steady his heartbeat and contain his arousal, all the while saying, “We’ll never even make it out of the house if we start doing that right now.”

Jeongguk's expression was both pained and helpless—his dark eyes still a little dazed—like he wanted nothing more in the moment than to trail after Jimin like a puppy. “You’re right. I got a little carried away. You just… You really do look incredible, and I’m excited for our date.”

The omega hummed and brushed back a strand of blonde hair that had fallen into his face. “We should… get going then.”

“Right,” the alpha agreed, smiling as he headed back towards the front door. He glanced over his shoulder to make sure Jimin was following and bit back a grin at the sight of the omega trailing after him, still recovering from how flustered the sudden affection made him. He couldn’t help but tease as Jimin neared the door, “You sure you’re ready?”

It earned him a playful slap on the chest, and Jimin adjusted the strap on his bag, trying to hide his own smile. “Shut up. Let’s go.”

They left the apartment and got on the elevator together, where the anticipation of the night festered. Standing side-by-side, Jeongguk’s hand brushed his once, and then twice. It didn’t seem accidental, and neither one of them pulled away.

Outside of their apartment building, the wind was crisp and brought with it that crisp smell of winter air that made it almost instinctual to stand close to each other as they walked. Coming up to the edge of the sidewalk, Jeongguk’s motorcycle was pitch black and gleaming under the streetlights. It was polished and impressive, and the omega noted a spare helmet hanging off one handlebar.

He blinked. “We’re going… on that?”

Jeongguk grinned, the corners of his eyes crinkling. “Do you trust me?”

Jimin crossed his arms, assessing the bike and then the alpha. “I suppose.”

Silently, Jeongguk grabbed the spare helmet and walked over, stopping right in front of the omega and looking at him as he began putting it on for him. Jimin stared back, stars in his eyes as he admired the handsome alpha. It was quiet and intimate, and admittedly romantic.

When it came time for Jeongguk to connect the strap under Jimin’s chin and secure everything in place, he dove down and caught the omega’s lips in a sweet, chaste kiss that had Jimin grinning like a fool as he pulled back to put on his own helmet.

Jeongguk gave Jimin a once-over. “You look cute.”

“I’m going to be freezing cold when we get on this bike, Jeon Jeongguk.”

Laughing, the alpha wordlessly shrugged off his leather jacket—leaving himself in only a black, long-sleeved turtleneck—and put it over Jimin’s shoulders. “There. Now you won’t be.”

Blushing into the collar like an idiot, Jimin pulled the jacket tighter around himself and muttered fondly, “You’re really trying to pull all the stops right now, aren’t you?”

In practiced, fluid movements, Jeongguk easily got onto the motorcycle and raised his eyebrows at the omega. “I mean, I have to impress you, don’t I?”

Before Jimin could reply, Jeongguk started the engine, and the bike came alive, humming and rumbling so loudly that it echoed off buildings across the street. Headlights cut on, and the omega looked on in wonder, in disbelief at finally seeing the bike up close and knowing that he was about to be on it with Jeongguk.

A few moments passed where Jeongguk straightened some things out and shifted, before gesturing for Jimin to get on behind him. Unsure what to do, the omega hesitantly approached, squeaking when he realized how tall it actually was. Luckily, he managed to swing his leg with some help from the alpha’s guiding hands, and then Jeongguk made sure he was steady before taking Jimin’s hands into his own and wrapping them around his own waist. Over his shoulder, he said over the engine, “Hold on tight, okay?”

Jimin nodded and could tell Jeongguk was smiling from the crescents of his eyes alone.

Once the alpha turned away and got ready to actually drive, Jimin pressed instinctively closer. He could feel the warmth of the alpha’s body seeping through the layers of clothing between them, and could smell their scents mixing in the air despite the helmet over his face.

Jeongguk was careful when he first took off. Jimin had caught sight of him riding his bike before on chance encounters just outside the apartment building, so he knew the alpha drove fast most of the time. But now, Jeongguk was intentionally slowing more than he had to at stops, and triple-checking before he made any turns. It was like he was focused on keeping Jimin safe, and that had butterflies forming in the omega’s stomach as they continued.

City lights blurred as they rode past, and halfway through the drive, Jimin was already laughing against the alpha’s back, exhilarated by the feeling of being on the back of a motorcycle for the first time—and with Jeongguk, most importantly.

He’s so caught up in the ride and enjoying the time spent together that it took him a second to notice when they pulled into a parking lot and stopped in a spot close to the front. Jimin lifted his head from Jeongguk’s back and realized they were at a restaurant. It was tucked away on a small side street in the city, and pretty, all warm lighting and natural wood. Not a flashy place, and not one Jimin had ever been to before.

It was the perfect setting for a date.

Jeongguk parked the bike and killed the engine. Without being prompted, he helped Jimin off the bike and assisted him in taking his helmet off before his own was even gone. Once they were both out of them, the alpha reached out and fixed Jimin’s messy hair, which prompted the omega to do the same to him. It had Jeongguk smiling, which made Jimin smile back, which led to them stealing another kiss from each other before they even made it inside the restaurant.

“Do you usually kiss this much on the first date?” Jeongguk teased, taking the omega’s hand to help lead him up the steps to the front door.

“I don’t. I guess you’re a special exception,” Jimin joked back. He was going to make another comment, but before he could, Jeongguk was opening the door for him and waiting for the omega to walk through with a charismatic smile on his face.

The alpha gestured into the restaurant. “After you.”

Jimin’s heart squeezed, and he walked in first, trying to keep the recurring flush off his face.

Jeongguk told the host they had a reservation, and they were brought to a table. Once there, the alpha pulled Jimin’s chair out for him before taking his own seat. Jimin tried to act casual about the whole thing in front of the employee, but the tilt to the corners of his mouth betrayed him. Jeongguk smiled at him from across the table as the host walked away, a faint dimple appearing as he tilted his head. “Don’t tell me a little chivalry is enough to have you impressed already?”

The omega shook his head, still smiling. “No. It’s nice, but you’ll have to try harder than that to win a second date.”

“Oh? I’m winning a second date now, huh?” Jeongguk teased. “Guess I’ll have to start putting in work, then, huh?”

They grinned at each other from across the table and took out their menus, discussing what to eat until the waiter came over to take their order. Conversation flowed easily after that. They laughed over shared dishes with tasty, hot food and traded stories about their childhoods in Busan. Jeongguk told Jimin about his latest big project design and confessed that he thought the city skyline was one of the most inspiring things in the world. Somehow, that turned into Jimin divulging that he used to be in dance and still had a passion for it.

The alpha’s brows shot up at the information. “Wow. That explains so much.”

Jimin threw his head back to laugh, covering his mouth. “What?”

“The way you move in bed…” the alpha gave him a once-over that had Jimin squirming in his chair, recalling the way the alpha was all over him before they left the apartment earlier. “Yeah, wow. That makes sense.”

Jimin couldn’t look him in the eyes. “Shut up.”

“Seriously, though, you said you used to do it? Does that mean you don’t anymore?”

The omega shrugged. “I take classes every few months when I get an itch. My friend Hoseok is an instructor, so I usually just join his.”

Jeongguk sighed and leaned back in his chair, saying in a pained voice, “You’re so cool. I have such a huge crush on you.”

Grinning and blushing like a fool, Jimin looked off to the side. “You’re being ridiculous.”

The conversation shifted after that to talk about the upcoming holiday season. Jeongguk said he was visiting family in a few days and would be home over Christmas. Jimin’s plans were practically identical, plus the extra work he had to finish up before a week's break for the holiday.

At some point, Jimin reached out for his glass, and at the same time, Jeongguk’s hand stretched across the table towards him. The omega paused and looked over the table at him, expression confused as he grabbed his glass and brought it to his lips for a small slip.

Jeongguk’s jaw dropped, and he winced, looking away as he began to silently laugh to himself. Jimin only knew he was laughing because of the fast rise and fall of his shoulders.

Smiling, the omega put the glass back down and asked with a small laugh of his own, “What? What was that? Did something funny happen just now?”

“I thought—Holy shit, this is so embarrassing. Kill me,” Jeongguk muttered, still quietly laughing. He looked over at Jimin from across the table, dark eyes twinkling and a handsome smile on his face. “I thought you were reaching out to hold hands, so I reached out too, and then you fucking grabbed your glass—Holy fuck—”

Eyes widening with realization, Jimin burst out laughing and leaned over the side of the table, face red with mortification as he finally understood. On the other side of the table, Jeongguk’s cackling joined him. “O-Oh my god! I’m s-so sorry! I s-swear, I didn’t r-r-realize.”

“No, no, it’s fine,” Jeongguk told him, hardly able to breathe. “I’ll just accept the rejection. Didn’t sting at all. Totally cool.”

“Oh my god!” Jimin sat back up straight, slowly recovering from the fit of laughter—so intense that his stomach hurt after. He wiped tears from the corner of his eyes, hoping his mascara was fine. “I really wasn’t paying attention. I’m sorry.”

“It’s really okay,” Jeongguk reassured, trying to catch his own breath. He waved it off. “I just—Wow, that was funny.”

Feeling a little bashful and ashamed, Jimin extended his hand across the table and looked at the alpha, wanting to try again. Jeongguk grinned and bit down on his bottom lip at the sight, before leaning over and taking Jimin’s hand into his own much larger one.

His hand was warm. The noise in the restaurant faded around them until it was something distant and muffled. Jeongguk’s thumb traced slow, sweet circles against the back of Jimin’s hand, dark eyes steady on the omega.

It had Jimin’s world tilting slightly on its axis.

Hours later, they left the restaurant with full stomachs and matching smiles on their faces. The night air was crisp at the beginning of winter, which caused Jimin to tug the alpha’s leather jacket a little tighter around himself, his cheeks red from the wind and the flirting they’d done all night.

Naturally, Jeongguk’s hand found its way to the omega’s low back as he guided him toward the motorcycle again, and Jimin found himself leaning into the touch without even thinking twice about it. His hand was warm and steady, and he moved as if running on instinct. When Jimin glanced up at him, he found the alpha already staring at him with a soft smile on his face, as if the omega was the best part of his evening.

“Cold?” Jeongguk murmured, thumb brushing back and forth over Jimin’s back and sending little sparks up the omega’s spine.

He shrugged, half-smiling. “A little, maybe.”

Jeongguk hummed knowingly right as they reached the motorcycle. It was sleek under the streetlights, and a little less intimidating than it was at the beginning of their night. Now, Jimin felt small flickers of excitement at the thought of getting back on it, and at the prospect of being so close to the alpha again. Traces of his glee were evident in his scent, and the next thing he knew, Jeongguk was smiling at him with a knowing glint in his eyes while helping him get the helmet from earlier back strapped back into place.

“Ready, beautiful?”

Jimin’s heart stuttered, and he went bright red down to his neck and hidden ears, looking off to the side. “D-Don’t call me that when I’m trying to look cool…”

The way his comment made Jeongguk laugh was worth it. The sound was deep and impossibly fond, and enough to quickly fade away any ounce of embarrassment the omega felt. Just like earlier, Jeongguk got on the bike, put on his own helmet, and started the engine before helping Jimin behind him. Once the engine was warmed and they were both ready to go, he turned his head and called out to the omega, “I can’t help it, you know. You’re gorgeous.”

Jimin wrapped his hands around the alpha’s waist and pressed the front of the helmet to his broad back, too tongue-tied to retort. He felt the rumble of Jeongguk’s subsequent laugh, but the alpha luckily didn’t tease him anymore.

They drove out of the parking lot and back through the city. Jeongguk was sure to drive safely through the city just as he did before, and Jimin got to sit back and enjoy the ride, overrun with happiness for so many different reasons.

For the first time in the months he had known Jeongguk, he didn’t feel unsure about their relationship or dynamic. They were still figuring things out, sure, but the alpha had been making it extremely clear all night where he stood and what he wanted. And Jimin was overjoyed at the fact that he wanted the same things.

Finally, it felt like they were where they were supposed to have been all along. And this was just the beginning.

Back at their apartment building, Jeongguk killed the engine, helped the omega down from the bike, and assisted in taking his helmet off before stripping himself of his own. They were both red-cheeked with messy hair and beaming at one another.

“Did you have fun?” Jeongguk asked as he looked down at him, and maybe it was a trick of the lampposts, but Jimin could’ve sworn there were stars in his dark eyes.

He nodded, enthusiastic. “Yes. A lot of fun.”

Another pleased hum came from the alpha, and they began making their way to the building. When they stepped inside the warm building and headed to the elevator, Jeongguk’s knuckles brushed the back of Jimin’s hand—a test of the waters. Jimin ducked his head to hide his cheesy smile and parted his fingers, welcoming the slide of Jeongguk’s palm against his own, fingers intertwining.

They didn’t talk in the elevator. Their pheromones said it all. The air was brimming with the sparks flying between them.

By the time the doors finally opened to let them onto their floor, Jimin was set so ablaze that he worried he would erupt before they made it to his door.

They walked the length of the hallway slowly, with the omega’s shoulder brushing Jeongguk’s arm every few steps, and the alpha’s pleased gaze continuing to drop to their hands when he thought Jimin wasn’t looking. Once they got to the omega’s door, they stopped.

A long beat of silence stretched between them. In it, Jimin quietly unlocked his door before turning back to face the alpha, unaware that he still had his leather jacket draped over his shoulders. If Jeongguk knew, he didn’t make it a point to say anything.

Jimin was the first to speak. Shifting on his feet, his tone was soft when he said, “Tonight was…”

He couldn’t find the words. Luckily, Jeongguk knew.

“Yeah,” the alpha agreed in a quiet voice, taking a single step closer. “It was.”

Jimin held his gaze, and the space between them slowly disappeared. Jeongguk’s eyes fell to the omega’s mouth, and Jimin’s did the same to him.

It was Jeongguk who crossed the distance.

The kiss was soft at first—just a brush of lips, slow and purposeful, calm but passionate. Then, gradually, it got deeper as their attraction grew more restless.

Jimin’s hands found the alpha’s chest and his fingers crooked into the fabric of his shirt, leveraging the grip to tug him closer. Jeongguk groaned open-mouthed into the kiss, and Jimin swallowed the sound, eager to introduce his tongue to the dance their lips were doing. The alpha responded in kind, tilting his head and working his jaw, slipping his tongue into Jimin’s mouth and tangling them together, thorough with every motion and shift.

When they finally pulled back, it was for air. Jeongguk leaned his forehead against Jimin’s, and they both panted hard, heat sizzling between them.

Then, the alpha murmured, “Come here.”

Before Jimin could even try to comprehend the meaning of his words, Jeongguk was hooking his hands under his thighs and lifting him straight into the air effortlessly. Jimin let out a startled squeak that was followed by a tumbling laugh, and looped his arms around the younger man’s neck as the alpha opened the door to his apartment and began walking them inside.

It only felt natural when their lips connected again in a series of sloppy, perfect kisses. Between them, Jeongguk found it in him to tease, “Do you always go home with guys on the first date?”

Jimin broke off their next kiss with a grin, eyes swirling with joy and playful mischief.

“Maybe. If I really like them.”

Jeongguk’s eyes widened a fraction, and his mouth parted, allowing Jimin to hear the audible catch of his breath.

A second later, a dazzling smile appeared on his face in answer, and he leaned up once again to press his lips to the omega’s. Heading up to the bedroom, he only pulled away again to mutter sincerely, “I like you a lot too, angel.”

Christmas was always Jimin’s favorite time of year. He loved almost everything about it, from the twinkling lights to the sweater weather to the hot chocolate sipped alongside cheesy movies. The only thing that he didn’t enjoy in past years was the fact that the holiday season was known to be for couples, and as much as Jimin didn’t want to be in the relationship, he would be lying if he said he didn’t envy the cute photos he saw on Instagram, or the seemingly endless date ideas, or the adorable sight of gloved handholding in public.

This year, for the first time, he no longer has to feel envious about those things.

Because he has them for himself.

After that first date, Jeongguk made it a point to arrange a date for the two of them to go on each week for the next several weeks. They kept up with each other’s schedules, slipped over to each other’s apartments for quiet dinners, and went out as often as they could. They were spending intentional time together, basking in their shared adoration.

Jimin loved the dates. He loved every moment he spent with Jeongguk, but the dates… were incredible. Some were elaborate: ice skating and festivals, going to the theatre, and getting ice cream after, while they were still wearing their nice clothes. Others were simple, but perfect in that simplicity; late-night ramen while they watched a movie, browsing the holiday market shops on a weekend while bundled in scarves, Jeongguk sturdy and warm pressed to Jimin’s side, while the omega eagerly tugged them both to the booths with sparkling lights.

A few weeks into them going on dates and exploring the new steps of their developing relationship, Jeongguk even showed up on a Saturday to help Jimin put his Christmas decorations up, and that mundane task somehow turned into one of the best days out of Jimin’s entire year—simply because of the alpha’s added presence.

With holiday music playing on the television, they spent a few hours debating where to hang and staple things and which spot to put the tree in. Jeongguk patiently untangled string lights while Jimin ran the show with his Santa slippers on, getting the final say on where things went. After the hard work was done—which really meant that Jeongguk did most of the work while Jimin watched on and critiqued him—they shared a hot meal and watched a Christmas movie on the couch. The entire day was full of small, intimate touches, laughter, and shared glances with hidden meanings. Jimin knew then, even if he was still afraid to say it.

The real shift happened a few days before Christmas when Jimin’s heater decided to die.

He made the discovery while lying in bed one evening, wrapped in a fluffy blanket, binge-watching a show. It hit him that something was wrong when he started shivering and exhaled harsh enough to watch as his breath visibly fogged into the air despite his heater being up high.

Jaw dropping, he sprang up, pulled on warmer clothes, wrapped himself back in a blanket, and called the maintenance crew that worked for their apartment building.

After a few upsetting phone calls, he slipped on some shoes and waddled to Jeongguk’s front door across the hall like a penguin, cold and annoyed.

He knocked, and a second later, was face-to-face with the alpha, who was dressed in loose pajama pants and a long-sleeved black t-shirt with the sleeves rolled up. The expression on his handsome face quickly drew from passively curious to deeply concerned as he took in how Jimin looked.

“Hey,” he said, ushering the omega into his home immediately. Jimin sighed out loud at the relieving rush of warmth that he felt. “Why are you wrapped in a blanket like a burrito?”

The pout Jimin had been wearing for nearly an hour deepened. “My heater broke, and I called maintenance about it, but they said they can’t have it fixed until after Christmas—apparently they are getting a lot of calls about heating and water, and half the staff took off for the holiday, so they’re short-handed.”

“What?” Jeongguk’s brows lifted. “That’s terrible. You can’t stay there while it’s freezing.”

Averting his gaze, Jimin shifted on his feet anxiously. “That’s… why I’m here, actually. Do you think… it would be okay… if I stay here for a few days? Just while I wait for it to be fixed—if it’s not a bother?”

The omega heard the alpha walk up to him and then felt a gentle touch guiding him to lift his chin. When dark eyes met his, a small, sweet smile slowly graced Jeongguk’s features, and he reassured, “You’re never a bother, and I’d love it if you stayed here instead.”

Heart bursting, Jimin grinned and leaned up on his tippy-toes, not hesitating before pressing his lips to the alpha’s. Luckily, Jeongguk’s smile only widened as he met the omega in kind, letting them melt into a passionate kiss.

“Come on,” Jeongguk said as they drew back. “Let’s get you warmed up. Sit down on the couch. I’ll turn the heater up and grab some hot chocolate.”

Jimin did as asked, warm enough from that interaction alone to keep his body satiated as he found his way to a couch cushion and hugged his blanket tighter, waiting on the alpha. When Jeongguk came back, they turned on a movie and sipped their hot drinks, talking over the film while they discussed how their week had been and what the next few days of shared living would likely include.

That night, Jimin was blushing as he got under the covers of Jeongguk’s bed, wearing the alpha’s clothes and feeling oddly giddy. It’s not like he hadn’t been in this bed before—it’s not like he hadn’t spent the night before, either. But this was much different. There was no heat, or rut, or quick sex. It was just them.

Jeongguk turned off the lamp next to the bed, slipped under the covers too, and immediately pulled the omega into his arms.

With shared words and shared hearts, they slept in the same bed that night. Jeongguk never let Jimin out of his hold, and Jimin was happy to stay.

They made a little routine of their prolonged sleepover during the course of those next few days. After getting what he needed from his apartment, Jimin made a home at Jeongguk’s. They spent their days getting used to their scents being interwoven while they cooked together, watched shows, and played games. When they weren’t doing that, they were stepping out of the apartment to run errands together or go on another fun little outing. And when they weren’t doing those things, they were naked in bed with one another, or spending time in the shower together—a little too close—where they stayed long enough for the water to run cold.

On Christmas Eve, it snowed for the first time that winter.

And suddenly, there they were.

As the snow came down, they stayed in the warm apartment. Flurries met the windows, soft music played from a speaker on a side table, while a holiday movie ran on the television. Earlier, they had baked cookies together, and the home still smelled faintly like flour and sugar. Presents for one another were perched on the coffee table, wrapped in matching red ribbons.

Jimin sat on the rug with his legs tucked under him, wearing cozy clothes. Jeongguk joined him with two steaming mugs of tea and passed one off to the omega before joining him on the rug, close enough for their arms to touch and for the natural heat of the alpha to radiate to him.

“Thanks again for letting me stay,” Jimin said quietly, cupping his mug and blowing air on it to try to cool it off. “I know it wasn’t planned, but I’ve had a really nice time this week…”

Jeongguk looked down at him for a long moment, expression thoughtful. “I like having you here. It feels… right.”

Jimin’s breath hitched, and he pursed his lips, willing his flush to go away.

Together, they opened the gifts they got for one another. Jeongguk made the omega open his present first, and looked exceptionally proud of himself when Jimin squealed at the sight of his new plush scarf. It was one he had pointed to in a store window weeks ago and forgotten about—one that Jeongguk went back to get. That moment was almost as sweet as the moment when Jeongguk finally opened his gift from Jimin, and the omega got to see him light up the high-quality charcoal pencils and expensive ink pens he’d picked out. Jeongguk had been talking about wanting them for months so he could have more blueprints for work, but also for the art he did in his free time.

Once the presents were opened and fawned over, Jeongguk shifted closer, every movement slow and deliberate. He murmured, “Jimin.”

Naturally, Jimin’s eyes fell to him, and the alpha leaned in, connecting their lips in a soft kiss. It was gentle and unhurried, the kind that had the omega falling in an instant, bringing his hand up to cup the alpha’s face and pull him impossibly closer, adoring being able to feel every flex of Jeongguk’s jaw under his touch as the kiss deepened.

When they finally parted, the alpha’s dark eyes were sparkling with a happiness Jimin certainly reflected.

The request came in a whisper—honest and certain.

“Be my boyfriend,” Jeongguk said, thumb brushing Jimin’s cheek tenderly.

The omega’s eyes widened a fraction. The words echoed in his mind as his heart soared in his chest, rose scent twinging in the air in time with his overwhelming burst of realization and elation.

“What?” He breathed out, needing to hear it again.

Jeongguk grinned. “Will you be my boyfriend, angel—finally?”

Jimin was nodding before he even got the words out. They were tripping across his tongue in their rush to get out. “Yes! Yes, absolutely yes. Are you kidding?”

Both of them laughing, Jimin threw himself into the alpha’s arms, and Jeongguk caught him, kissing him deeply as they fell back against the rug.

In the background, the movie continued playing, but they were both distracted by one another.

Their kisses were messy and full of scraping teeth from lingering smiles, but it couldn’t have been more perfect. Jimin felt the warmth in his body, understood the meaning of the wholeness in his chest, and he was speaking before he could stop himself.

“I’m in love with you.”

It was Jeongguk’s turn to pull back. The back of his head hit the rug, and his midnight hair haloed around his head, his eyes big. At that moment, he looked every bit the twenty-six-year-old he was. And Jimin knew his words were true, so he didn’t try taking them back.

The alpha’s arms tightened around him, like he didn’t believe Jimin was real and actually sitting in his lap right now in the middle of his home.

Then came the long, relieved sigh. One of Jeongguk’s hands found the nape of the omega’s neck, and he pulled him in close, muttering, “I’ve been waiting for you to say that, because I’ve been wanting to tell you that for months.”

Jimin’s surprised gasp was swallowed into their next kiss.

They stayed there for a long, long time; tangled together on a rug in the living room, kissing and whispering their affections. All the while, the twinkling lights from the Christmas tree accompanied the still playing movie on the television. Further away, on the other side of the windows of the apartment, the snow continued to fall, slowly blanketing the world around them.

There were still conversations to have and things to do, but they were here for now. It was the end of a long journey between them, and yet it was simultaneously the beginning of something entirely new. This was the start of their partnership, and there would always be a day to have those other conversations and to do those other things they needed to do. For a while, they got to simply enjoy the simple happiness of finally being here.

Jimin had learned so much in the last year—about himself and about life. He still had more to learn, but he wasn’t afraid of it now—not when he had Jeongguk.

But there was one thing he was certain about. It was something he had learned recently, and something he knew intimately by now:

Love is warm and incandescent, and smells like vetiver.

fin.